The Baby Chronicles
by Intergalactic Chocochip Cookie
Summary: Used to be a tale of Alice and Jasper, the best couple in the world, having a child. Now it's the story of the Cullens as a family with children. Enjoy!
1. A baby!

**A baby!**

The soft music playing made me want to dance. I closed my eyes, raised my arms, and began waltzing around the room. I liked that song, it was happy, sweet, perfect, a good description of my life in that precise moment. Then, suddenly, I felt two hands catching me by the waist and a soft masculine voice whispered in my ear from behind. "Do you like dancing alone?" I opened my eyes and turned around. It was Jasper. My Jasper. "Not if I have a vampire partner," I smiled.

We waltzed together. After a while we ended on the balcony. The sun was about to disappear, I could already see the moon and some stars shining in the pink-and-purple sky. We remained embraced for a long time, fascinated by the spectacular view of the snowed mountains.

"A hundred and fifty years ago," he told me, "there was a small village over there," he pointed to the slopes of the mountains. "When I was a child I used to beg my mother to take me with her when she came to work, and I would spend hours by the riverside, watching the people come and go. And in the river you could see turtles and fish of all colours. It was beautiful," he sighed. "But with time everything changed and the village disappeared."

"Yet here you are," I said

"Yet here I am. For good or for bad, but here I am."

"You are with me. It's for good."

A sunbeam touched his skin. The million tiny rainbows it threw mesmerized me, I took his hand and examined it, traced its lines with the tips of my fingers. I tried to picture those hands holding a child, and as soon as I thought of the news I was about to give him, my heart jumped and accelerated.

He noticed it. "What's the matter, darling?" he asked.

I turned around to face him. His eyes were full of concern and I smiled to reassure him. "Honey, do you... do you like children?" I asked.

The cuestion surprised him. "Children? Why do you ask that?"

"Just tell me."

"Well, yes, I do... This house would be better with a few of them, and Esme would be so happy... Shame we can't have them."

My heart beat faster and I looked down, suddenly very nervous.

"Alice? Could you tell me what's going on? Please? Sweetheart?"

"I have news for you," I finally said. I bit my lip and looked up to meet his curious eyes. On tiptoes now, I pulled his head down so I could speak in his ear. "I'm pregnant."

He took me by the shoulders and examined me. His eyes were open with disbelief, his whole expression shocked. Now that I had finally said what I had to say I grinned widely, not being able to contain my utter happiness any longer. Then he spoke.

"What?" was the only thing he said.

"Yes," I said, nodding. "We're going to have a baby."

"A-are you s-su-sure?"

"Yes. I've been through all the tests, it's confirmed. I'm pregnant."

He paced around the room in complete silence. I began fearing this had uspet him. I was about to apologize when he turned to me.

"A baby," he said. I nodded. "Yours. And mine. Our baby." I kept nodding. "So I'm going to be father."

"Yes."

"Father," he repeated. "Father. A baby... a baby..."

And suddenly he had me in his arms, raising me off the ground and spiraling with me.

"I'm going to be father!!" he shouted, laughing. "Everyone hear! I'm going to be father! We're going to have a baby! A baby!"

I was laughing along with him. This was too perfect, I was going to have a baby from the man I loved most in the world and he was just as happy as I was.

"A child! Our child," he kept exclaiming. Abruptly, he stopped. He put me back on the floor and touched my face delicately. "I'm sorry," he said, still smiling. "I could have hurt you. Both of you," he placed a hand on my stomach. "It's just that I'm so happy..."

"It's ok, we're not than breakable," I told him. "The only thing we want right now is another hug from our dad."

He took me in his arms. And then he kissed me, more tenderly and sweetly than I would have ever imagined. Still kissing me, he raised me off the ground again and continued shouting.


	2. Milkshaaaake!

**Milkshaaaake!!**

"Jasper?"

"Yes?"

"Could you get me a strawberry milkshake?"

I looked at the clock. 00:50. "Right now?"

"Mm-hm," she nodded.

I looked at her sleepy eyes and kissed her. "I'll be right back," I promised. I stood up and walked toward the door. Just before I left the room she spoke again.

"Jasper?"

I turned. "Yes?"

"I love you."

I blew her a kiss and went downstairs, to the kitchen. When I opened the fridge to get the ingredients I couldn't help smiling at the sight of what we had had to buy to satisfy her night cravings. Today was the milkshake, but two nights ago it had been a chocolate fondue. When I had been through everything to prepare it –including a casserole explossion- she told me that she was so sorry, but she now wanted an omelett. I had run to get it soon, just to race upstairs, plate in hand, and find her asleep again. But, contrary to what could be expected, this didn't bother me in the least. I loved to pamper her and satisfy all her whims. And it made me even happier to think that now I was not only fulfilling her wishes, but _theirs_. Hers and her child's. _Our _child's.

While I left everything mixing up in the liquidizer I prepared a nice tray with napkin, spoon and straw. I served her milkshake and decorated it with chantilly and Oreo. But when I was about to go back to the room I thought of something and stopped. _Might as well save me more trips down here,_ I said to myself. I opened the cupboard and grabbed the whole box of Oreo and a few salted cookies. Knowing her...

Then, finally, I returned to her. Fortunately, her eyes were still open and she didn't seem to have changed her mind. "Milkshaaaake!" she clapped, bouncing on the bed. _Oh, my_, I thought. _She's just a child. How can she be_ expecting _one?_ I put the tray on the night table and turned the lights on. She took the cup and began drinking.

"And?" I asked. "How is it?"

"Mmhh," she answered. "For not having eaten in a hundred and fifty years you're a great cook, love."

I rolled my eyes and went to sit beside her. She was eating the cream, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. I watched her, fascinated. Maternity had made her bloom, she was even prettier if possible. Her eyes sparkled and her expression was radiant, there hadn't been a moment in the last four months in which I hadn't seen her smiling, even in sleep she smiled. The only roundness in her figure was that of her belly, and it only amplified her beauty.

She turned to me. "Come. Come here," she said. She pulled me to her and laid my head on her lap. I pressed my ear to her belly, atent to any sound or movement. Meanwhile I kept observing her. She was so childish... And not just her tiny appearance, or the naughty sparkle of her blue eyes, but everything- her playfulness, her never-ending optimism, her eternal jokes, her absolute love for the carousel of the fair... Yet the pregnancy didn't seem out of place in my little elf, quite the opposite, I was sure that her freshness was what would make her a great mother. So, in fact, she was always something pleasant and funny to look at, but now, as I saw her soaking the _salted_ cookies in the milkshake, I couldn't help laughing.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing," I answered, still laughing.

"You bad boy," she said. She grasped a handful of my hair and shook my head playfully. "You bad, bad boy." She grabbed the box of Oreo and began eating as she talked. "You know what? I think we should get a few more clothes for the baby, just a few more, just in case."

"Sweetheart, yesterday you made me buy a two years' supply of clothes. I don't think we'll need more in a while."

"Yes, but I realized that most of it was girlish. What if we have a boy? Would you like him to go around in a pink, fluffy dress? No, you don't, do you?"

"Ok, ok," I agreed, as always. "We'll go get a blue, fluffy dress. Happy?"

"Yes," she laughed. "You know, darling? It's a good thing you brought all the cookies. Yumi, yumi, cookies, cookies, cook-" she stopped abruptly.

"Honey, what's the matter?" I asked, worried.

"Jazz, here, quick!" She took my hand and placed it on her belly. At first I didn't feel anything, but a few seconds later there was a tiny beating under my fingers.

"What is it?" I asked as the movement repeated.

"It's kicking!" she exclaimed.

"What?" I said, marvelled.

"Yes, yes, it's kicking! Our baby's kicking!" she laughed.

The utter perfection of that moment I cannot describe. It was there when I fully understood that there was a little life coming to this world, a little being that existed thanks to us, thanks to the mighty love we felt for each other. My devotion for her had condensed in a living miracle, and the wonder of it left me speechless. The only thing I was able to do then was taking her –them- in my arms. I kissed her, softly because I didn't want to hurt her. But apparently she wasn't as worried as I was, for she kissed me back enthusiastically, securing my head between her hands. The rest... you don't really have to know :-)


	3. Images

_Sorry I took so long, guys, but I'm fourteen miserable years old, I still have to fight against school and that stuff. Anyway, after lots of interruptions and failed attempts, I got something fairly decent to give you. Enjoy!_

**Images**

"And if you watch carefully you'll be able to see the feet, right over here. Now, this is the head and..."

The doctor's voice lost itself in space. My attention was exclusively focused on the black-and-white screen, where the delicate shape was moving. Five months had gone so fast they felt more like five days. Out of the blue, I was staring at the tiny figure that had made my head spin for two weeks straight, that had made me swell like a balloon, that ate so many omelettes and drank so many milkshakes. Finally, I was staring at my baby.

Jasper's hand tightened around mine. I looked up from the divan and observed his face. He was completely absorbed by the images on the screen, his expression fascinated.

"Would you like to know if it's a boy or a girl?" the doctor asked.

Jasper and I looked at each other. "No, we prefer to keep it a surprise," I said. Jasper blew me a kiss.

"Ok," said the doctor. "Well, then, right here," he pointed, "is the heart."

A minuscule spot was moving. Dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum. Not even the sweetest music could ever compare to the perfection of my baby's heart. It beat to a soft rythm, slow, quiet. It immediately relaxed me and filled my head with lots of pretty pictures. Jasper inclined himself toward me. "That's our child there," I told him. My voice sounded thick, and only then I realized I was crying. Still, I kept talking. "Can you believe that little thing is really _ours_? That _we_ made it?" Jasper tried to speak, but his emotion was beyond words. He only kissed my hand and patted my belly. Then he found his voice.

"Hi, baby," he adressed my stomach. "What's up?" Suddenly, the beat accelerated. Dum-dum-dum-dum.

"It recognizes you!" I exclaimed. "It knows you're its daddy! Keep talking, keep talking!"

"You must be eager to come out," he continued. "Life's nice out here, and with a mom like yours... Wait till you see her, you'll be dazzled."

The machine went wild. I felt the baby move inside me, like it was jumping. It was all so marvelous I was crying and laughing at the same time. Our child jumped again and I put Jasper's hand on my belly so he could feel it. He looked like he'd cry if he could.

"Well, well, well," said the doctor, who was also smiling. "It seems that this baby is rather special. I'd never seen anyone with such good hearing."

"Wonder where it got that from," I said, looking straight in Jasper's eyes.

He mussed my hair and said in my ear "You frightening little monster." I took advantage of his closeness and pecked him on the cheek. "Frightening little monster," he repeated as I laughed.

When we left the hospital, holding an envelope with our baby's first images, we went for a walk around the park. For a while none of us said anything, we just kicked the pebbles we found in our way. But then, suddenly, he pulled me to him and kissed me, more intensely than he had since he knew about the baby.

"We'll give it a brother or sister very soon, won't we, chiquita?" he said against my lips.

"Of course we will," I answered. "But before that, there's something we must do. Something very important"

"What?"

"Can we go get the blue, fluffy dress?"

_People, I have two questions for you: _

_#1: Do you still want me around, or do you prefer me to go learn how to rationalize denominators with square roots instead of boring you with my stories?_

_#2: If you do want to read more of The Baby Chronicles, what do you want me to post? I have three options:_

_Divine Creations.- the actual creation of the baby (blush). It's no dirty, porn thing, I took great care about that; I think it's actually funny._

_Someone is coming.- Alice finding out she's pregnant._

_A blue, fluffy dress.- A & J shopping in the mall -you know how Alice can get when shopping :-). –_

_Let me know !!!_

_Alice Brandon Whitlock._


	4. Divine Creations

_Hey, before I start:_

_I'm posting the story that got more votes. Then I'll post the rest (I've already written all of them, anyway). Thanks for your enthusiasm!! ___

_There's something__ else I wanna say: when this project started I was thinking of a two-year-old baby, and I went back in time to the actual pregnancy time. But as I did so I understood that there was __something__ before that, I mean, the Holy Spirit times are gone. I hope you don't feel I'm invading a very private concept, I just __have__ to say it._

_Please forgive me, enjoy this, and I promise I'll update ASAP__ (of course, if you still want me around). Thanks!_

Divine Creations

It was very late in the night. I deeply cursed the meeting in my office that had made me stay so long; I hoped Alice wasn't angry with me. When I came inside the house the fire in the chimney surprised me; I didn't expect to find it lit. But soon I saw why: she was on the sofa, sleeping. Poor darling, she had been waiting for me and tiredness had won her.

I approached her, making as little noise as possible. She was absurdly, unbelievably beautiful; the warm light of the fire softened her delicate features and made her look like an angel. I took her in my arms, trying not to wake her, to take her upstairs to the bedroom. But she was very perceptive, and as soon as I touched her, she opened her eyes.

"You're home," she said. Her sleepy voice was so charming it was almost painful to hear it.

"Love, you shouldn't have waited here," I told her. "Why didn't you go to bed?"

"I wanted to welcome you," she explained. "Sorry I felt asleep."

"Don't worry, darling. _You_ forgive _me_ for making you stay here. Shall we go upstairs?"

"No, not yet. Sit beside me, I want to spend some time by the fire."

I couldn't be happier to obey her. I cradled her in my arms and she began talking.

"So everyone at the meeting approved your project," she said. It wasn't a question, and her confident tone surprised me.

"How do you know?"

"How could I not? It was perfect," she smiled.

"My psychic, little sweetheart. Always so accurate."

"Your private horoscope is happy to be of service."

I began laughing hard after I heard that.

"You are the craziest, loveliest squirrel I've ever met," I told her.

"Squirrel? I am _not _a squirrel!" she exclaimed

"Yes, you are!" I insisted while I began tickling her. "A tiny, fluffy squirrel!"

"No!" she said, laughing. She tickled me back and so we began a war.

"Yes! Squirrel, squirrel!"

"_I'm not a squirreeeel!!"_ she cried, tears of laughter in her eyes.

"Yes, you are!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!" I was winning the war. I was leaned over her and with the chaos I didn't realize I had started pecking at her face. Out of the blue, I was kissing her lips and she was kissing me back.

When we noticed, the laughter turned into a nervous giggling. I stared into her smiling face and kissed her fully. She grasped a handful of my hair and pulled me to her. I moved to her ear and whispered, "Now, shall we go upstairs?"

"I don't think we'll make it that far," she giggled.

I opened her robe and saw the tul-and-lace baby doll she was wearing.

"What's _this_?" I asked.

"I told you I wanted to welcome you."

"I see. But it's brown, so you still get to be the _squirrel_."

And then her lips silenced mine, making it impossible to talk for the rest of the night. :-)


	5. Someone is Coming

**Someone is coming**

Now, _this_ was weird.

I wasn't really sure of what was going on with me. During the last three weeks I'd been feeling kind of strange. I would wake up in the morning, starving, but the moment I got up I felt such nausea I barely made it to the bathroom. Jasper was worried about me, he wanted to help me, poor darling, but not even I knew what was happening to me.

And the mornings were only the beginning. I'd been asking for the most peculiar food, like a hot dog with honey or lemon with sugar every five seconds. Emmett teased me a lot about it, saying that I was getting so fat Jasper wouldn't want me anymore and then they would all have me as evening lunch. Very funny.

Luckily, Emmett and the rest of the family lived next door, so they didn't get to know how very little time we (better said, I) spent eating, or the jokes would be a lot worse. Anyway, the point is, when I got to the fourth week of feeling weird I decided I had to go next door, whatever Emmett said. I needed to see Carlisle.

_Knock, knock._

"Alice, darling, hi," Esme greeted me. "Come in. How can we help you?"

"Hi, Esme. Is Carlisle home?"

"Not yet, but he'll arrive in a few minutes. Meanwhile, let's go to the living room. Tell me, how are things with Jasper?"

I updated Esme on our latest news. Then she told me it was the sixth time Jasper worked in that company, and that the centenary picture of the co-founder that I'd seen in the lobby of the building was actually one of Jasper himself.

"That's why he loves the company so much," she said. "He _created _it."

"Wow," was all I could manage.

"But tell me," said Esme. "Why do you want to see Carlisle? Is something wrong? Are you ill?"

"No. Well, I don't know," I smiled to reassure her, she looked really concerned. "I mean, I've been feeling... strange. I don't know exactly what's going on, and so I want to consult with him."

"But... what do you feel?"

"Well, sometimes my head spins, and I have a lot of peculiar dreams, and I'm always hungry, and I'm sleeping much more, and-"

"And you have morning sickness, and you crave for funny food, and your period is a few days late."

"Two weeks," I said. "But, how do you know?"

Now Esme was the one smiling. "Alice, you naive kid," she laughed. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're not ill, you're simply-"

In that moment Carlisle walked through the door. He smiled when he saw us.

"Hi, Carlisle."

"Alice, dear, hi."

"Well," said Esme, "I think it's better if he explains." She stood up and walked toward Carlisle. She spoke in his ear and he laughed. They kissed and she left the room.

"Ok, Alice," began Carlisle. "Esme has just said something rather interesting. Would you mind telling me your symptoms?"

As I spoke his smile grew wider and wider. He asked me a few questions, too. Finally he let out a guffaw.

"Esme was right," he said. "Honey, listen." He took my hands. "You're not ill, nor anything like that, so don't worry. What happens is that you're _pregnant_."

"_What?_" I said, shocked. Whatever I was expecting to hear, certainly it wasn't that.

"Yes. You're going to have a baby. I'm surprised you didn't find out by yourself."

"Let me see if I got this right: I'm pregnant,"he nodded, "which means I'm going to have a baby," he nodded, "which means I'm going to be mother."

"Perfect," he said. "Around mid April you'll have your own baby in your arms."

I hugged him as tight as I could. He hugged me back and stroked my hair.

"Congratulations. I'm sure you and Jasper will be very happy with your child. But don't cry. This is supposed to be nice."

I touched my cheek and found it wet. "T-that's why I'm c-crying," I said. "Beca-ause I'm s-so hap-ppy..."

And suddenly there was Esme beside me. Carlisle left me with her. She hugged me, too, and I kept crying for a while. Once I had calmed down she spoke.

"This makes us all very, very happy. There had never been a natural child in the family, so we thank you. You'll be very happy, that much I'm sure of. I just wanted to tell you that whatever you need, we'll always be there for you, ok? So never hesitate to come here. This is your home."

I had no words to express how grateful I was, so I hugged her again. And on my way home I laughed aloud, knowing for the first time that I wasn't alone.


	6. A blue, fluffy dress

**A blue, fluffy dress**

And so she dragged me to the mall. My little elf came in with a grace that was surprising, mostly because her stomach showed a pregnancy older than the five months it really was. She knew the mall by heart, it was the place she spent most time in.

"Ooohh, look, they have already brought the Christmas tree!" she exclaimed. She meant, of course, the pine the mall placed in its centre every December. It was the third one she saw, and she absolutely adored them. This year's was certainly great: spheres of all colours hang from its branches, along with tiny figures, like snowmen, caramels, bears, etc. A few star-shaped Swarovski crystals completed the picture. She caught her reflection on a red sphere.

"Whee, this looks ten times biggeeeer," she said, cradling her belly.

"And you look ten times prettier," I told her, kissing her hair. Then, as I noticed the fat man dressed in red I asked, "Want a photo with Santa?"

She considered it for a minute. "Mmm... Nah, I already have what I asked for last Christmas,"she finally answered. She looked down and caressed her stomach.

In that second the childlike eyes shone with a spark of illusion that was somehow much more mature; for the first time she looked like a mother. My heart swelled with love of them. Then she looked up and smiled.

"Ah, I'm spotting a green little dress I will not leave without." She took my hand and walked directly to the store.

It was only the beginning. Two hours later I managed to convince her to take a few minutes and go leave the shopping bags in the car, for even I was having problems to see with all of them on top. Then we returned and kept shopping. And suddenly, she began pecking at my face, to the point I couldn't walk thanks to her enthusiasm.

"Chiquita," I said as I tried to pay three pairs of little shoes, a blanket, two sweaters, five toys, a pink dress and a blue T-shirt, "I already know your lipstick tastes like strawberry. There's no need of your smearing it all over my face."

"Why don't you like it?" she laughed. "You are soooo pretty."

"It's not that I don't like it," I said. "It's just that I _can't move_."

"Oh, c'mon, she's just happy," intervened the store employee. "Let her have some fun."

After that I knew I was hopeless.

Eventually she calmed down. But that didn't keep her from dancing along to the Christmas carrol the mall played, and from forcing me to dance with her as we walked. I let play with me, for there was nothing I could do. Then an old couple approached us.

"It's so nice to see such strong love," said the man. "You don't get many of those nowadays."

"And it's even better to welcome a new little life," added the woman. "This is what the world needs: some fresh hope. Congratulations."

As they walked away, Alice cracked up in laughter.

I bought her a Starbucks hot chocolate (her newest craving) and we sat down on a bench. While we looked again at the ultrasound images I caressed her belly, in an attempt of getting a reaction from the baby. But as much as I tried it remained like a quiet, big balloon.

"Sshh, let SC alone," Alice scolded me. "It's probably sleeping."

"SC?" I asked. "What does that stand for? "Super Child?"

"Ha, ha, good one," she giggled. "It stands for Sebastian / Carelle. Tentative names."

"Sebastian... Carelle..." Such warm, soft names; they made me think of The Nutcracker.

"Do you like them?" she asked

"Of course I do. I like everything you do," –kiss-, "everything you say," –kiss-, "everything you think," -kiss-.

"Now, who's the kisses-obssesed one? I didn't know you wanted to show me a new lipstick."

"What?" I said innocently. "_You are soooo pretty._"

She laughed her marshmallow-like laugh. "Well, time to continue," she threw the empty Strabucks cup to the bin.

"Let's go, then."

"Whee! Jazz, could you... could you help me up?" she smiled shyly. "SC is getting rather heavy."

"Hey, baby, leave your poor mommy alone. After everything she's bought for you, you should treat her better."

"Hm, I wish it would listen to that."

She walked inside a store she hadn't explored yet, _Campanita._ I fell in love with the way a green, embroidered dress looked on her, so I bought it in yellow and brown, too. My conscience told me I was going straight into bankrrupt, but in that moment I was so happy I didn't want to think in such trivialities. And then, when we were ready to leave, she exclaimed, "Oh, sweetheart, look! The blue, fluffy dress!"

It was certainly beautiful, sky blue with flowers and butterflies in pastel colours embroidered on its borders. The soft satin shined in the sunlight ("Imagine, darling, if you take the baby and step out in the sun, you'll match!") and it had a pair of little shoes and a little diadem to complete the outfit. _Finally, _the whole purpose of the trip had been accomplished.

With the dress safely kept in a _Campanita_ shopping bag, we left the mall after almost four hours. The golden leaves of the fallen trees moved soundlessly as we walked.

_Yeah, I know the end sucks, sorry. Campanita actually exists, at least in Mexico (where I live), and so does the green dress, which you can buy precisely there. If you have any ideas about how can I get my mom to buy it though none of us expects a child (I'm such a fan of maternity and baby clothes!), please tell me. Your advice will be rewarded._


	7. Will I be able?

_Sooo! Here we are again. I'm glad you like my stories. Now, I want you all to say "thank you, _Free2ExpressMe." _I was checking the reviews and I found one that said "UPDATE! I'M BEGGING!", courtesy of our dear_ Free2ExpressMe. _I saw this at about 6:30 pm on Sep 21 and now, at 9:20 pm, the same day, I can tell you that _Free2ExpressMe_'s pleas have been answered. The comment made me feel bad about my laziness, so I've been writing like a maniac since I saw it. LOL... I hope you all enjoy this. Written with love form the girl who prefers to fail History and Math than stop writing the Chronicles._

**Will I be able?**

Oh. My. God.

I can barely walk. With each step I take I feel the baby is coming out. I'd never been happier in my entire life, but if I'm honest I have to admit I'd never been more terrified, either. What am I going to do with a baby? Will I be able to care for it properly? Will I be able to educate it, to love it, as I should? Will I be able to become a good mother?

I'm eight months pregnant right now, almost due, and I'm so big that hardly any of my clothes fit me anymore. If I hadn't seen the ultrasounds, with _one _baby, I'd swear I'm expecting at least twins, I feel so heavy and enormous... Now I move slowly and clumsily, and going out of the house is no longer an option.

I miss my job, only now I realize how much I liked to go argue with my boss about which photos should go in the next edition of the magazine. I remember how I loved to go photograph someone important and then see my work on cover. That's the way I met Jasper, when we did that shooting, the time his company won the Best Product Award. Ah, it's frustrating to see my camera lying still, unused.

Poor Jasper, he feels guilty because he has to go to work and can't stay with me. But I've got Esme, and Rosalie, they come almost every day to talk and give me advice, they're all about babies. Sometimes I feel bad because they long for a child and I'm the one who's going to have one, and I don't know, maybe they would be better mothers than I. Oh, dear, I'm so scared...

The bell rings. It's Emmett, armed with a gigantic box of chocolates. He's such a dear, so sweet, so funny, he comforts me and makes me laugh with his jokes about my balloon-like figure. He offers to finish decorating the baby's room, we only need to hang lamps and finish painting. The walls are light yellow because we don't know if it's a boy or a girl. I don't have a special preference, because either way the child is Jasper's. Our son. Our daughter. Both of them sound good, don't you think?

And while Emmett is on a ladder with me watching I tell him about my fears. Then he asks me,

"But what are you scared of, exactly?"

"Everything! First of all, how I'm going to survive the birth? I'm not that strong. Look at me, I'm gonna split in two."

"Well, baby, you wanted to have fun before, didn't you? Time to pay for it," he laughs.

I stick my tongue out at him and he laughs even harder. Then he climbs down the ladder and puts an arm around my shoulders.

"I didn't mean to offend you," he says, sweetly. "What I want you to realize is that you _are_ strong, one of the strongest girls I've ever met. Look at you, at me, at Jasper, at everyone. We're here because there were brave women who had us, who raised us, who cared for us. You're one of them, Alice. You'll be a great mother."

"And if I fail? People say I'm childish. What if I'm so childish, so immature, that I can't care for my child? How can you learn to educate? What if I can't? What if I-"

"Stop, stop, , you are childish. Do you know why?" I shake my head. "You are so _stubborn_! There's no way to convince you that you are absolutely amazing. Please, Alice, understand this: You'll be the Perfect Mother, ok? And I'm so sure of this that if I weren't married, and you weren't married, and we didn't have this monstrous watermelon between us," he puts his hands on my stomach, the baby jumps and we laugh, "I'd kiss you and ask you to marry me."

His smile is so innocent, and his eyes so mischievous, that though I was about to cry I start laughing instead. He laughs along with me, and we just can't stop, we can't, until...

"Ouch!" I exclaim, my hands around my belly.

"What is it?" asks Emmett, suddenly worried.

"I-I don't know, I-ouch!"

It's a sharp pain in my stomach, like a pinch. It feels like my womb it's moving with life of its own. Wait. Pain... life... Oh God, it's...

"Contractions!" I finally say. So this is it. Ready or not, I'm having the baby right now.

Emmett takes me in his arms and runs downstairs. In no time we're in his car, driving to the hospital. While I try to concentrate in remembering all the exercises I did before (stupid, useless prenatal therapy, they don't teach you how to breathe when a knife's cutting you like now) he takes out a phone. Vaguely, I hear him. "Jazz? It's me, bro... That's your wife screaming next to me... Well, what do you think?... Yes, man, she's having the baby... We're on our way to the hospital, see you there... Ok. Congrats, bro, you're going to be father."

_Did you like it? Let me know and review. And next chapter... Whahaha!!! Alien vampires will rule the world!!!_

_XOXO_


	8. The Moment

_Hi people!!! :-) Hope you're all doing ok. I always say this, but THANK YOU!!! My mom hates my writing this, but nothing makes me happier than the Chronicles, except reading your reviews. YOU ROCK!!!_

_Now, there are two things we need to talk about. #1: I've seen this doubt a couple of times and I don't know if anyone else wants this information, so I explain here: Alice is human (the only way she can get pregnant, unfortunately) and all the others are leeches. The family structure is the same as in the books. #2: It's this chapter, another one, and we're done with this baby. Some of you have asked me to tell the story of their family life. Who wants me to continue? _Please_ let me know so I can plan it, ok? Other than that, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Whee!!_

The Moment

Right in the middle of the meeting I got the call.

"Hello?" I said, quietly so no one heard me.

"Jazz? It's me, bro." It was Emmett. But in the background I heard a strange noise, something sharp, painful, somehow.

"What's that noise?" I asked.

"That's your wife screaming next to me," answered my brother. And yes, listening carefully, I could distinguish Alice's voice.

"Alice!?" I exclaimed. A few heads turned to me. "What's going on? What happens?"

"Well, what do you think?"

Then it hit. "Oh God, the baby! She's having the baby!" I was leaned over the table, shouting. Now everyone was definitely looking at me.

"Yes, man, she's having the baby." Behind the stress and the rush of the moment I could hear Emmett's laughter trying to break through his voice.

"Oh God, oh... Where are you? I'll go, I- where?"

"We're on our way to the hospital, see you there."

"Right, I'll reach you there."

"Ok. Congrats, bro, you're going to be father."

I stood up and left the room with a hurried excuse. In no time I was driving like a maniac, my thoughts no longer making sense, I was completely hysterical. My office was closer to the hospital than the house, so when Emmett arrived with Alice in his arms I had already made all the arrangements. When she saw me, her whole face lightened up, and she smiled through the grimaces of pain.

We took her to the delivery room and laid her on the bed. Then the doctor gestured for both Emmett and I to leave, but Alice grabbed my hand fiercely and said,

"He stays."

"But ma'am," said the doctor, "we need space, oxygen. If this room is too crowded, then-"

"He. Stays." Even when she was panting, and screamed from time to time, the authority in her voice was evident. Besides, I had no intention of leaving _them,_ so I told the doctor,

"She wants me to stay, don't you hear? And I'm the father, so I stay."

The doctor was about to answer back, but then Alice's screams broke in the air. I turned to her and the doctor had no option but to let me stay.

"Don't leave me, please, don't leave me," she begged, squeezing my hand.

"I won't, love. I'm here, I'm here for both of you."

"I'm scared."

"Don't, hon, don't. You must be brave. For me. For the baby. You can do it, darling, don't be afraid."

She was crying, and I was desperated to comfort her, to ease her pain and errase her fears. My powers weren't working on her since she had got pregnant, the child was blocking them somehow. It hurt me so much to see my little elf suffering, to _feel_ her suffering, that if I could have taken her place to spare her the moment, I would have.

"Ok," said the doctor. "This will be easy. The baby's in the right position, there shouldn't be any problem. Now ma'am, what I want you to do is push as hard as you can when I tell you to, right?" she nodded. "Perfect. Now!"

She did so, and screamed once more. She fell back on the matress, panting. I could tell she was terrified, yet she pushed again and again. I caressed her hair, and said anything I could think of to cheer her.

"C'mon, sweetheart, push again, it won't last much longer, resist!"

"I'm not gonna make it, Jasper. I can't."

"Oh, yes, you'll make it! That kid needs you, and you can't fail it. So push again, baby, it's almost here. Don't you wanna see your child's face? Its eyes? Don't you wanna hear its voice?" she nodded. "So? Resist, darling, c'mon, once more."

A few more minutes passed, where I said anything that came to my mind to distract her. And just when I had started to worry, too –wasn't it too long, would she really make it, what was going on-, when she leaned forward, let out the loudest scream ever, and fell back on the matress, panting. Then we heard it.

"UUUUAAAA!!!!!!"

Our baby was born. As soon as we heard it crying Alice began to cry and laugh, all at the same time. I laughed along, and I felt like I would be crying if I could. I caressed Alice's hair while kissing her face, and repeated over and over, "It's over now. Well done, chiquita, well done."

The crying continued and then Alice asked "And? What is it, doctor? What is it? Boy or girl?"

The doctor looked up and smiled

"It's a healthy, beautiful..."

Ha, ha, ha! I'm leaving you with the suspense. I'm so cruel, lol... Review! Your comments make my day! 


	9. Hershey

_Hi people!! Sorry about last time, I know I was too mean. Anyway, here's the ninth chapter. Nine chapters, can you believe it? I must confess that I was crying as I wrote this one. It just... I felt like Alice, seeing the result of all my efforts. Ahh... Enjoy! P.S. : I strongly suggest to eat Hershey's Kisses before, during, or after reading this. You'll see why._

**Hershey**

"It's a healthy, beautiful girl," said the doctor.

"A girl!" exclaimed Jasper, squeezing my hand.

"A girl!" exclaimed I, half-laughing, half-crying.

A girl. Our daughter. Finally, after all these months, I could say I had a daughter. I heard her crying, and it seemed the most beautiful sound in the universe –sweet, soft, like a bell, like a lullaby, a charming sound I could hear forever. The doctor checked her and gave her a ten. Of course, my daughter was perfect.

But I hadn't seen her yet! My baby had been born three minutes ago and I hadn't seen her! As soon as I realized this I repeated over and over: "My baby...please, give me my baby... my daughter..." A nurse turned to me, with a tiny, minuscule white bundle in her arms. She passed it to me and I cradled my daughter for the very first time.

I don't know if I could ever explain that instant; there are simply no words. I met two little eyes, tinted with the sky, that watched me curiously. As soon as I had taken her, she had stopped crying, but her eyes were still transparent with tears, which made them look like stars. Her little mouth was like a rose button, round, red, charming. Her cheeks were pink, and an almost imperceptible, light brown fluff adorned her perfect head. The rest of her diminute body was wrapped in the white hospital blanket.

"Hi, baby," I said. "Do you know me? I'm your mom. Welcome to the world, honey."

She stared at me, with her eyes wide open, and I'm sure she smiled. She knew me.

Then I looked up, and there were Jasper's eyes, shining like never before; I could have sworn there were tears on them, just like in our baby's, just like in mine. We stared at each other, speechless, marvelled, and then we looked back at our daughter. And then, just as if we had been posessed, we began kissing her furiously, endlessly, a torrent of kisses pouring over her rose-like face. And then I realized he was kissing _me_, and repeating over and over: "Thank you, darling, thank you, thank you, my love, thank you."

Then the doctor interrupted us and said they had to take her away, with the rest of the kids. Slowly and reluctantly, we gave our daughter back to the nurse. Suddenly, what seemed like a thousand balloons came into the room, followed by all my family, the Cullens. Emmett was the one holding the balloons, while Carlisle had a bouquet of roses. Esme was the first one to come and hug me.

"Emmett called us. We're so proud of you," she said. "Congratulations."

"Have you seen her?" I asked

"Was it a girl? How wonderful! We caught a glimpse when that nurse left, but we didn't know it was a girl."

"What we know for sure it's that she's the most beautiful baby we've ever seen," intervened Rosalie. "We couldn't look at her properly, but you will let me play with her every day, won't you?" her smile was hopeful.

"Certainly," I answered

"And how will you call her?" asked Edward as he opened one of the chocolate boxes he'd brought

The name. I didn't really know yet. Jasper and I had written down a lot of names we liked because of the sound or the meaning: Cynthia –moon-, Diane –divine-, Dorothy –given by God-, Hana –flower-, Letizia –joy, hapiness-, Chantalle, Carelle... thousands of names. Yet, when I saw my daughter, I realized none of them suited her, nothing armonized with her perfection. Then, which one?

"Um..." I began. "Well, the truth is, we... we haven't decided yet. None of the names we prepared makes sense anymore."

"Don't worry, you'll have time for that," said Carlisle. "The important thing is, she was born healthy and pretty."

"More than pretty, beautiful," said Jasper. "As beautiful as her mother," he smiled at me.

"You guys are sickly sweet," laughed Emmett. "I can perfectly understand why that kid is such a beauty, you put a lot of effort, didn't you?"

"Oh, shut up, Emmett," intervened Edward. "Leave them alone or I'll tell everyone about your first decade with Rose."

He started to laugh, but fell silent when he noticed Rosalie's glare.

"Anyway. The baby," I said, trying to stop the argument I was sure was coming.

Everyone relaxed at once. Edward took out a chocolate from the box, unwrapped it, and put it in my mouth. It felt good, extremely good; I hadn't realized I was starving, and the sugar tasted simply delicious. Then something clicked in my mind. Things that made me feel good. Things I adored. Chocolate. My daughter. I took the silver wrapping. That was it!

"Hershey," I said.

"What about Hershey?" asked Rosalie. "The chocolate?"

"No, the baby. That's her name. Hershey."

"Hershey..." repeated Jasper. "I like it. Sweet, soft... Hershey Cullen... yeah, sounds good."

"Lovely," said Carlisle.

"Awesome," agreed Esme

"Then I'll be the godfather," declared Edward. "I gave Alice the chocolates."

"And I the godmother," announced Rose.

"Perfect," I agreed.

Three days later I left the hospital with Jasper by my side and Hershey Carelle Cullen in my arms. She was wearing that lovely Burberry dress I'd bought as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Burberry socks, shoes, hat, and a Louis Vuitton blanket completed the outfit. It suited her perfectly, she was a good-sized baby, measuring 22 inches and weighing seven pounds. She looked like the princess she was.

We had already noticed a few things she had got from her dad. Her presence was soothing, Esme told me that Edward and Rosalie had got into a fight on their way to the hospital, but the moment they arrived to the maternity ward and seen Hershey they had calmed down. I detected a faint gleam in her skin, not rainbow-throwing, but definitely special. And she was pale, surprisingly so; the only touches of colour were the cheeks and the lips. She had that surreal beauty so characteristical of the immortals, though her heart beat, and she ate and slept like any normal child. "Special mom, special kid," Jasper had said.

But that didn't really matter to me then. I would have lots of time to worry about Hershey's nature. The only thing I wanted in that moment was to enjoy her, enjoy my family. For the first time I had something completely mine, something I had created. In that moment, that unique and precise moment, I was happy.

_What do you think about this? Review! One comment makes my whole week. And be happy!!_

_XOXO :-)_


	10. The new little Cullen

_People!!! Sooorryyyy!!! It's just that I've had so much to do... I feel quite guilty. Did you like Hershey? Isn't she charming? Now every time you see a chocolate bar you'll think about my baby. Enjoy this! And please REVIEW!!_

**The new little Cullen**

My niece was a week old when we got the message.

We look forward to meet the new little Cullen. We will be visiting you soon.

"Aro," said Carlisle.

Aro. The Volturi. The vampire royalty. The people I loathed most in the world. We had tried as hard as possible to keep them away since Alice had become pregnant, moreover, they hadn't even seen Alice, and though we knew something like this was going to happen we didn't expect it so soon.

_Edward, what are we going to do?_ Jasper's voice sounded clear in my head. He was on the couch, cradling both Alice and little Hershey in his arms, trying to look despreocuppied, but I could sense his tension and worry. I sat beside him and spoke

"First of all, let's not panic, ok? Maybe thay are just curious, like when Alice and Jasper got married, remember they came to the party. But what happened there? Nothing. So perhaps we're over worrying."

"When it comes to my daughter _nothing_ is overdone," Alice's voice had a dark tint I'd never heard before. Then came a wave of calmness, and I knew Jasper was trying to soothe her. It didn't work.

"Alice, honey, I think we should listen to Edward," intervened Esme. "The Volturi are very, very curious, and our family attracts them particularly. Now that we have such a special baby they are more interested than before. I don't think they mean any harm."

"Then why did you hide me when they arrived to the wedding?" she fired back.

No one answered.

"Ok, let's suppose they do want to attack," I said. "I think I would be able to notice it on time. Or don't you trust me anymore?" I added, looking straight at her.

Her mind tried to find a way to reply but gave up. "All right," she finally said. "I trust you."

*******

And they came. Of course they did. Almost two weeks later we saw the black figures marching slowly towards our family.

We went out of the house to meet them. Only the most important had come: Aro, Marcus, Caius, Alec and –to my horror- little Jane, in whose mind I could already sense the eager desire for violence.

We stood in line in front of them, leaving Alice and Hershey behind, shielded. Aro spoke the first, with that friendly, hypocritical voice that made me want to tear off his head with my bare hands.

"Carlisle!" he exclaimed. "How lovely! Come here, my friend."

They embraced and I heard Esme's soft hiss beside me. Aro heard it, too.

"Always protecting your family, aren't you, Esme? But you have nothing to fear for, your husband is safe with us. Unless... Jane, dear?"

Aro let out a guffaw while Jane flashed a smile almost as repulsive. Carlisle went back to Esme's side and held her hand.

"Anyway. There are some joyful news here, I think," Aro's enthusiastic voice continued. "Would you like to share your happiness with us?"

We looked at each other. Then Rosalie spoke.

"We're welcoming someone to our family. On April 13 Alice and Jasper's daughter was born."

"A baby! How delightful! And she's not even a month old. I so like babies... But wait! I don't even think I've had the pleasure of meeting the mother. Is that true?"

"Yes, it's true," said Jasper. "You haven't met Alice yet. Jane, Aro, Marcus, Caius, Alec, I introduce you to my wife."

Alice walked with steady steps, but I knew she was half dead with fear. She had Hershey in her arms, tightly wrapped in a pink blanket, pressing her fiercely against her heart.

"She's so pretty! Come closer, dear."

As she moved towards them Caius's rough voice echoed around the trees.

"Leave the child. We want to look at _you_."

She turned to Rosalie and gave her the baby. Then she stared at Emmett meaningfully. Her whole mind screamed _protect her, protect her, protect her_. The message was understood and he nodded. She turned back to the Volturi.

"Aro," she said. Little by little she managed to smile.

"She's absolutely charming," he said. "Where did you find her, Jasper?"

"She works for a magazine. They came for an interview. That's when I met her."

"A magazine. That's interesting. What do you do there?"

"I'm photographer."

"Interesting. But you're the kind of girl who should be in front of the camera, not behind it. Don't you agree, Marcus?"

"Absolutely."

Aro looked her over and I couldn't help snarling. Jasper understood and snarled, too.

"You Cullens are quite interesting," laughed Aro. Then his attention returned to Alice. "And you had a baby, what, three weeks ago?"

"Yes. A girl," she smiled softly at the thought of Hershey.

"Girls are the best. Could I see her?"

She took the baby from Rosalie and counted to three in silence. Aro, who could hear her heart beating frantically, had an amused expression on his face. The fantasy where I personally burned him and danced around the fire returned to my head.

Alice's voice awoke me. "This is my daughter, Hershey."

"But she's a beauty!" said Aro "Like mother, like daughter. Look at her eyes! She definitely got that from you. What an amazing child." And then, to my horror, he extended his arms. "May I?" he asked.

I could tell I wasn't the only one horrified. Hisses and growls erupted from every single of the Cullens and a torrent of profanities flowed in Jasper's mind. However, we knew we had no option. Anger boiled inside me as Alice left the tiny pink bundle in Aro's arms.

"She's so small... and warm... mostly human... And you called her Hershey? Like the chocolate? She's indeed very sweet. Jane, dear, come and have a look."

Alice went paler that us when Jane approached her daughter. My sister knew about the diabolic angel's talents and the only thing that stopped her from crying was that she didn't have enough strenght.

Jane, however, proved to be harmless –this time-. She limited herself to smile and coo the baby. She was pleased. Aro showed my niece to all his companions before returning her to Alice. Life went back to her face as soon as she had her child in her arms. She hugged and kissed her, looking relieved.

Then Caius approached Alice and examined her, just like Aro had done before

"I agree with my brother," he said softly. "You are so beautiful..." the tips of his chalky fingers traced the contour of her face –hair, cheek, jaw. Alice's hands balled into fists. "And you'll be even prettier, if possible, once you've been transformed."

Jasper's eyes widened in horror. Until that moment, he had had no intention of changing her.

"Surely you all see the advantages of turning her into one of us," Caius continued. "She would be stronger, more beautiful, I even dare to say, talented... Jasper, you would have forever to adore her, to love her, without having to worry about hurting her when you... Yes, she must be transformed. The sooner, the better."

"And the child," added Marcus. "We must make sure she is completely like us. Otherwise..."

"Let her grow," intervened Alice, her voice terrified. "Let us see how she develops. She's unique, we don't know what might happen. Please, give us time. For both of us."

"Yes, she's right," said Aro. "But we'll return, and soon. Your family is lovely, Jasper, I'm already quite fond of them. I don't think I'll be able to wait too long to see them again."

"You will be welcome any time you want," said Carlisle. "We're friends"

"Friends indeed!" exclaimed Aro. "Goodbye, everyone! Goodbye, precious one," he inclined himself towards Alice and kissed her on the cheek, close to the lips.

And then, finally, finally, they left.


	11. Fear

Hi there, guys! Thank you for your enthusiastical response to my tenth chapter... three of four miserable reviews. PLEASE, even if you don't like it, you have to let me know so I can change it before it's too late. Remember I live on blood and reviews. Don't let me starve.

_And now, a proof of my ever growing mental insanity. Enjoy! P.S.: this is Alice talking to her baby._

Fear

As soon as they left I ran into the house

God, I was so scared

Clutching you tight in my arms

We could all die and they wouldn't care

Your dad tried to soothe me but I wouldn't listen

Because if I care for someone, that's you

I sat down with you and cried

I felt defenseless, that's the pure truth

The family was gathered in an emergency meeting

Whatever they did, I knew it wouldn't work

Carlisle said that union was power

I just wanted to be out of New York

Esme agreed and Rosalie cheered me

I must admit, I did really feel better

While Emmett dreamed of fighting them all

I just don't want to lose you, ever

We finished by midnight, you were already asleep

We will be together, no matter what

And we went back home

I just wanted that

Daddy cradled us in his arms

He sang me to sleep

The love I feel for you both

Is in my heart really deep

Now I feel more than ready

To face whatever might come

As long as I live you can be sure

_That you'll never, ever, be alone_

_This is, as I said before, just my fooling around and my strong need to take dis-obsession therapy. I promise I'll post the real chapter ASAP_


	12. A rewarding break

_Hi, my beautiful readers. Sorry I took so long to post again. If this chapter doesn't get at least five reviews you can kiss your Chronicles goodbye. You were so enthusiastic before! What happened?_

_Ok, this is a continuation of my mental problems . You have to let me know if you still want to read (if so, review!) Enjoy!_

**A rewarding break**

A week had passed since the Volturi's visit and I was starting to feel safer. My beautiful teddy bear of a daughter had more hair, a lovely dark shade that covered the little head I could not stop kissing. Her eyes were bluer, but had the same expression as Jasper's brown ones, sweet, warm, tender. She was able to smile now, and every time Jasper and I heard her musical baby laughter we couldn't help but laugh along.

I was working again, starting with tons of photos of Hershey, who appeared in the front cover of the magazine I worked in (which was specialized in business) as "the little heiress of the Cullen Emporium." When I showed her the images, she ripped them in an attempt to play with them. Hm, I hope we're not already having self-esteem problems...

After all the stress of these last weeks we all deserved a break, so we planned a girls' morning out, spent at the mall. All the Cullen women were togehter- Esme, Rosalie, Hershey –in her first shopping trip- and myself. I had mercifully lost all the extra weight within the first two weeks, so it was time to renovate the wardrobes. And I say wardrobe_s_ because my daughter was growing so amazingly fast that most of her clothes didn't fit her anymore.

But she proved to be a natural in this shopping thing. Her little eyes stared at all the new things they saw with a fascinated expression. At Toys R Us she pointed to a hundred things she wanted and, worst of all, she got them all, thanks to her spoiling aunt, Rose. They looked so alike, with the same spark in the eyes, the same delicate features, and the same breathtaking beauty. But of course, Rosalie was Jasper's biological twin, they were all expected to resemble each other. Still, it marveled me.

"Ok, girls, this is it," said Esme, as she walked into Victoria's Secret.

"But, didn't you come here last week?" asked Rosalie

"Yes."

"So?"

"So... what?"

"You got an awesome green baby doll," I said, with a stab of envy. I didn't remember brighter eyes than Carlisle's next morning. "What happened to it?"

"You don't want to know," answered Esme, with an interesting smile.

"I guess we don't," said Rosalie. "Grr, Carlisle."

***

We were leading our husbands to bankrruptcy, that was clear. On the bright side, Victoria's Secret now regarded us as their very best clients. And on an even brighter side, that beautiful blue baby doll looked really promising.

Anyway, after the typical recess that we used to leave the bags in the car (for you can't shop carrying ten Chanel bags, you really can't) we split up and headed for our favorite shops. Burrberry was Esme's and Hershey's most beloved place, so Rose and I left them there and walked straight to Louis Vuitton.

A pair of pink sunglasses, two of tennis, three bracelets, a necklace, two jackets, a blouse, four bags, three belts, and God knows what else Rosalie and I went to met Esme and Hershey at the doors of the mall. Hershey smiled when she saw me while I laughed at her chocolate-smeared lips.

On our way home, with Michael Jackson as background, we began discussing all the possibilities Victoria's Secret had given us.

"The only thing I regret about having bought that yellow dress," said Esme, "is the speed with which I'll see it destroyed. It's a shame. I do like that one."

"But why would it be destroyed?" I asked.

"Alice, where have you lived these past three years?" answered Rosalie. "Haven't you noticed that the Cullen men are quite... intense? Shall we ask Jasper to show you?"

"I think that won't be necessary."

"Good," said Esme, turning the volume on. _The way you make me feel_ boomed in the car as she added "Ah, poor dress. It's always the same, I spend hours getting dressed and making up and all for what? In three clawings, bada bing, bada boom! It's gone. There goes my money. Well, Carlisle's, he's the one who pays my cards."

With that Rosalie began to talk about a certain pink blouse she'd bought the very day World War II had ended and her story lasted till we got home.

***

They were already waiting for us- Carlisle, Emmett, Edward, and Jasper. Carlisle took Esme by the waist and kissed her enthusiastically in front of us all. He stopped only when Emmett appeared with a bucket filled of icy water and all the intentions of using it to cool the happy couple down. Ah, this family of ours...

As the night drew closer I got happier and happier. I had left Hershey under Esme's care, back at her house, so ours would really be ours. I was glad because I was about to reward my Jasper after all the months of celibacy. We hadn't had time for ourselves since I was five months pregnant, not because of the lack of interest from any of us, but because I had been so big I could hardly move, let alone dance around the way we used to. So, after almost six months, we both deserved a reward.

The baby doll really suited me, it brought up shades in my eyes I hadn't noticed before. I took great care about my appearance, spending hours at the dressing table, brushing my hair compulsively and putting on perfume. Finally, when I heard Jasper's footsteps outside the bedroom, I put my typical blue silk robe and pretended everything was normal.

"Hi, chiquita."

"Hello, love."

He took me by the chin and kissed me softly on the lips. I took my first chance and caught his face in my hands, kissing him with slightly more stranght than usual. His reaction was instantaneous, almost immediately his hands were on my shoulders, pressing me to him. I could feel the tension of his body, the eagerness of his lips as I trapped them with mine. Then I opened my eyes and pushed him away softly.

"How was your day?" I asked, as if nothing had happened.

"G-good... I guess," evidently he wasn't so indifferent. "We signed the contract today. Nothing can be better now."

_Oh, I know what can be better._ "Congratulations, love. I'm proud of you."

He looked at me and carresed my cheek "Ah, chiquita," he sighed. I heard in his voice a combination of desire and rue; as this last one was more pronunciated I examined his face carefully. It had the same shadow of regret.

"What's the matter?" I asked, panicking now.

"I must leave. Sorry, love."

"Right now?" he nodded. "But... why?"

"Hunting. Please, forgive me. You know it's safer for both of us, and for the baby."

"Right. I see." I hoped my voice wasn't showing the hurt that had begun to invade me. "Don't worry."

"I'm sorry, darling. I must really go."

Jasper kissed my forehead and headed for the door. Great. I had abandoned my child to be with him, and now _he_ was abandoning me. Perfect. Furious, I turned to the bed, took off the robe and got in. Or tried to, at least, because I felt an icy hand on my wrist, pulling me out again.

"What is _that_?" he breathed. He straightened me up and I heard his faltering breath as his eyes swept all over my body.

"Just a little thing I bought today with the girls," I said, not giving it importance.

"Turn around," he commanded.

After I did so he seized me by the waist and pressed me against him.

"You look so beautiful..." he said. He spoke with sweetness, but in his voice was also an amount of desire I'd never heard before.

"It's been a while since we were together," I whispered while I put my arms around his neck and began playing with his curls. "You've been very patient with me, and it wasn't easy. So, well, I thought you deserved a... reward." My last word was said in his ear

"And how will you reward me?" his voice was as suggestive as mine.

"Mmm, I don't know... Hershey is with Esme and Carlisle, so we're alone... what do you want?"

"Do you really want to know?" his sweet, cold breath washed over my hair and shoulders, making my heart beat at embarassing speed. I couldn't answer.

"Iwant to see you," he kissed my ear. "Admire you," he kissed my cheekbone. "Adore you," he kissed my eyes. "Worship you," he was giving out kisses all over my face, one hand was still on my waist and the other held me by the hair. "Kiss you. Love you." When he ran out of verbs he kept kissing me everywhere, anywhere. Then he returned to my face and I trapped his mouth with mine, kissing him fully. In that moment he let out a growl and pushed me onto the bed.

_And now, my precious ones, a call for help. I have to write an essay for Spanish class, and I chose to write about Twilight, I want to prove to all those wolves out there that something that has united so many people all around the world, and made them so happy, can't be that bad (more than that, it's PERFECT). To do so, I need you. Please answer these questions and send them to any of these: _

sxyvamp_

bellatonks_

_I'll be waiting!!!_

_1.- Why / how did you start reading Twilight?_

_2.-What / who do you like the most about?_

_3.-What's the craziest thing you've ever done for Twilight?_

_4.-Ho many people have you lent your books to?_

_5.-Your age and country._

_If you know any other Twilighter ask him / her to write his / her story. PLEASE!_

_AND check my new story, _Hope_. XOXO!!!!!!_


	13. Pretty Little Things

**Pretty Little Things**

When the sunlight slipped through the windows I opened my eyes. It took me a moment, but then I became aware of the warmth, the sun, the silk sheets covering me, and, most important, the soft and cold contact wrapping my body.

I knew I wasn't alone in that bed. I stirred slightly and looked up. I met his warm, honey-like eyes and blushed at the memories of the night before. He smiled.

"Good morning, baby," he said.

"Hi," I smiled back.

Every memory was so clear –his fierceness, his kisses, his caresses, the pasion, the intensity, even the fear our family -who lived next door- could hear us... I could perfectly recall all the love words he'd whispered in my ear and against my skin, when he had told me how much he loved me while he kissed me.

The hand he had on my waist moved up and caressed my lips, cheeks, hair.

"You are so pretty..." he said, and kissed me on the lips.

I raised my head and rested it on my hand.

"Were you here the whole night?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Watching me sleep?"

"Yes."

"Didn't you get bored?"

"Chiquita, I could never get bored of you."

Well, he was right. He had insisted on being rewarded over and over again, and I had been only too happy to please him. After all those months, it had been like a second first time, a thoroughly amazing one, for everything we had kept restrained exploded in wave after wave of ecstasy. Hm, I shouldn't be talking about that, it's private... Anyway, that morning I felt very, very happy, and I could see in his face that he was equally satisfied.

It took us a while to leave the bed. We stayed there about two more hours, not doing... _that_, merely playing, till Jasper got a call from his job, asking his immediate presence, and we had to, as Jasper said, "balance our priorities", which for me meant go pick up our daughter from Esme's and for him go listen to a bunch of black-suited men ("the penguins", I called them for his amusement) who could have been his children .

When I lifted the sheets I noticed a soft blue fabric tangled in them. As I looked at it I realized it was a piece of my baby doll. So the Bada bing, Bada boom thing was right. Interesting. I made a mental note to thank the girls first chance I had.

When we got dressed and were ready to leave he cornered me in the living room and kissed me again, with an intensity that still had last night's taste. I took advantage of his closeness to slip in his pocket the blue remains of last night. I tried to picture his face when he saw it and barely managed not to laugh. Only thanks to another call from the office could the couches be saved from destruction. But finally, _finally_, we both went where we had to go.

Everytime I went to the house I felt nervous. It was The House, the Control Center, as Emmett called it, the Holy House of theVampire Parents, as I heard Edward say one day, Mum and Dad's, as Rosalie refered to, the Cullens' place, for everbody else. It was the white, beautiful house where Carlisle and Esme lived. It was located on the outskirts, away from the noise and the people. Around it were three more houses, these ones smaller, for the children. Emmett and Rosalie had one, Jazz and I another one, and Edward had the other one, all for himself. Esme and Carlisle had always been kind to me, and I loved and considered them as my true parents, but, you know, I'll always feel an immense respect for The House.

I rang the bell and Esme answered.

"Alice, darling, hi. Come in."

"Hi, Esme. How did my baby behave?"

"Oh, she's an angel. She's right here, in the living room."

Only a saint like Esme could call Hershey an angel. She was in Carlisle's arms, sitting on the couch, and... oh, God, she was pulling his hair and biting his fingers. Blushing, I tried to apologize.

"Hershey, sweetie, this is not how you treat people. They are not toys. Apologize to Carlisle,"

As answer, she laughed and pulled Carlisle's hair again. I held out my arms to take her and he said, "Alice, c'mon, don't worry. It's the first thing babies do. They are learning. Let her have fun."

Hershey laughed again and the soothing ability she seemed to have inherited from her father made us all join in.

"Is that a sweet, apetizing human we heard?" Emmett's voice boomed form upstairs. He appeared and came down with Edward closely behind.

"I'm not sure about the sweet, apetizing part," I answered, "but most certainly an annoying human."

"Hi, little sister," he said. "Come give me a kiss."

I tried to, but since I couldn't reach him even in tiptoes he laughed and lifted me till my lips touched his cheek.

"Wow, look at you! No one could ever think you've just given birth. You look awesome!"

"He's right," agreed Edward. "You look great, Alice."

"Thanks, guys," I smiled, blushing.

"Alice, darling, could we ask you a favor?" said Esme softly.

"Sure, Esme, whatever you need."

"Could we, Carlisle and I, borrow Hershey for the day? It's just that... we're going to the hospital, and then for a walk, and, well, we want to be with her, to be seen with her, to, you know..."

"Yes, Esme, I understand. Don't worry, you can stay with Hershey for as long as you like. Good luck with that." I told her. Of course I knew. Even without Edward's talent, I could tell that they wanted to feel Hershey was theirs, their child, they wanted the chance to recover they family they'd lost before they could even have it. How could I deny that to them?

"Thank you so much," said Carlisle. "We'll take care of her, she'll be safe. Then... let's go, love. See you, honey. See you, guys." They left, the baby with them.

"Bye," answered Emmett, Edward, and I in unison.

"Hm, I guess I have to go, too," said Emmett. "Rose is waiting for me. Hunting."

"Have fun, Em. Save a few bears for me. And tell Rose I said hi." I held out my arms and he lifted me for the goodbye-kiss.

"See ya, bro," said Edward.

"Bye, gorgeous. Bye, Ed."

Edward and I stood there, alone in the living room. He broke the silence.

"Alice, would you like to go for a walk with me? There are a few things I'd like to tell you." He offered me his arm and off we went.

The wood surrounding the House was beautiful. I loved the fragant pines whose hidden birds awoke me with their songs, and the pink, blue, and yellow flowers Jasper and I destroyed during one of our "moments". Edward chuckled when he heard my thoughts and I blushed. A few minutes later we arrived to a beautiful meadow, with butterflies and squirrel, which brought yet more memories, and Edward gestured for me to sit.

He sat beside me and spoke.

"I know you wonder why I brought you here," he said. "Don't worry. It's just that, well, it's always been a little difficult for me to express my emotions. But I wanted to tell you that I really appreciate your being part of this family."

He looked down all the time he spoke, and I suddenly understood there was much, much more to Edward that I had ever thought.

"You know we Cullens have never been able to relate to other people, not even our own kind. So you can imagine how we felt when we found out you loved Jasper. He was, well, head over heels since the first time he saw you, but he never thought you'd pay the slightest attention to him. He used to be as bitter as I am, maybe even more, until one day he arrived and said 'I've found her! I've found her! I've just met the love of my life!' "

I laughed at those words.

"And you didn't see him the day he first kissed you," he continued, laughing too. "It was the only thing he talked about in the whole week. He was surprised you hadn't rejected him. I remember he told me, 'I've killed, I'm a monster, an awful person. How can she love me? She's so beautiful, so sweet, so understanding, she doesn't deserve someone like me. Yet she loves me. Yet she loves me.' You have no idea how you changed him, it was an unbelievable transformation, something we never thought possible. He was radiant, making all sorts of plans, imagining his life with you. You saved him, Alice, and we'll always be grateful for that."

When I tried to answer, I realized I was crying. "Edward, I... I always thought it was the other way round. _He _was too good for _me._ He was –he is- famous, rich, powerful, handsome... what could I mean to him? My career was barely starting, I was nobody. I can assure you I was every bit as thrilled when he told me he loved me. It was love at first sight, and he'll always be the one for me. And, believe me, I'm the one who's grateful. I never had a proper family, ever, but you opened your arms for me, even though I'm so inferior to you! I... I just... I love you all so much!"

I started sobbing and Edward hugged me. He caressed my hair and he added, "When you told him about the baby, he was hysterical. Rosalie gave him a T-shirt saying 'World's Best Dad' and he wore it to the office the day he had a meeting. You saw how excited he was. You and that chocolate-named little demon are his whole life."

"He's my life, too," I said.

"I know. And it's not only Jasper you've helped. You changed us all. You brought some fun into my life, dragging me to parties and teaching me these modern dance steps," I laughed. Edward dancing rock & roll was the funniest thing I'd ever seen in my life. Good thing I filmed it. "Emmett was longing for a baby sister, he adores to pet you and pamper you. Actually, he and Jasper got in a fight to decide who had the right to give you more Christmas presents last year. Rosalie also found a sister, someone to trust. She'd love to be human, so every second she spends with you she feel she's a little bit more human, too.

"Carlisle wanted to see his son happy, and he's pleased Jazz found his happiness in 'such a lovely and pretty girl'" Edward imitated Carlisle's tone. "And Esme... well, you know she'd gladly have a zillion kids, so she was delighted to welcome you to the family, and later Hershey. Speaking of which, it was so nice of you to let them keep her for today... Esme lost a child once, her only natural child, as soon as he was born. This new baby means much more for her than you can imagine, it's like life is giving her what it once stole, it's like she has her own baby again. Yes, this was very special for her. So, once more, thank you for existing."

I felt so loved in that moment, it almost felt like a dream. Since I'd met Jasper everything had been too perfect to be true. I had everything I'd ever wanted- parents, brothers, sisters, a husband who really love me, a perfect baby girl, and maybe more children to come. No problems of any kind. That was one of the moments when you value the pretty little things life gives you, they combine themselves and produce the one and only thing we all –humans, vampires, werewolves, fairies, elves, and whatever else is living out there- should care for: happiness.

**R-E-V-I-E-W !-!-!**

**P.S. : I'm adding a new question for my essay: What / who do you like the least ? Why ?**


	14. Something yours

**Hiiii !! Yeah, hate me, I know I took too long. But I hope you forgive me. Oh, and before I forget, thanks to all of you who have answered my questions, your experiences mean a lot to me. Thanks, too, to all of you, for staying loyal to The Baby Chronicles, and giving me all your love and support. YOU ROCK !!! Ooh, and by the way, the deadline for the questions is Valentine's Day. Don't forget, I'll be waiting !! XOXO**

**Something yours**

After I calmed down Edward walked me home. Then I went to the magazine, to deliver some new photos for this month's cover.

"Hi, Alice," said James, my boss. "Nice to see you. Where did you leave your twin?"

"Hello, James. Nice to see you, too. Hershey is with her grandparents."

"Wow, I hadn't seen you without her in two months. Wait no, in almost a year, since you were pregnant. _These_ are news, not the rubbish Jacob gave me yesterday. What on Earth is that boy thinking?"

Jacob was one of the reporters. He was fresh, just out of college, and had been with us for six months. Usually people got used to the rush of this place after one or two months, but poor Jacob was still struggling to understand the work. I liked him, though, he tried to do his best and was a very nice guy. He was a few yards away, and when I spotted him I waved at him. He smiled and waved back, with a rather nervous expression.

James saw Jacob, too, and shouted at him. "What are you staring at? Flirting at home! Go back to work, or whatever it is that you do!"

Jacob ran to his cubicle and I turned to James. "Flirting?" I asked.

"Oh, haven't you noticed?" he said, rolling his eyes. "That boy is head over heels for you. Apparently, the fact that he _met_ you married and pregnant is no obstacle for him."

I couldn't help giggling. Poor Jacob. I hoped it was only a crush, for breaking such a kind heart would have been horrible. But he was good looking, and pleasant, I had no doubt he'd find the right girl very soon. James and I walked into his office; it's the only one that doesn't have glass walls, but actually that was great, because otherwise we would be exposed whenever he lost his temper and screamed at us. It's not that I blamed him, though, thanks to him the magazine was a leader in the market, but, you know, no one wants to get shouted at in front of a hundred people.

Anyway, James was in a good mood that day. He liked my photos –_direct and strong, yet sweet and artistical as only you can make them_- and prepared a surprise meeting –much to Jacob's distaste- to include them in the new issue. We spent hours discussing every single detail, so it was late in the night when he finally allowed us to go. I didn't mind, though, for he sent me home with a present for my baby. I do like James.

I got in my car and drove across the busy, lively city. My Porsche was a marvel, Jasper's gift when we got engaged, and it could fly through the worst traffic completely unscratched. Stylish and fashion, I hadn't decorated it so it would keep its elegance, but now I couldn't resist the temptation and stuck a photo –helpfully taken by Emmett- of Jasper, Hershey and me playing in our garden on the rearview mirror. I smiled at the sight of it and then, as if by art of telepathy, I got a text message from my husband, _Picked Hershey up. Waiting for you at home._ I drove faster, eager to see my little family.

When I finally arrived I almost ran to the door, opened it and prepared myself for a loud calling. I stopped myself just in time. In the living room, sitting quietly by the warmth of the fire, was Jasper, cradling our baby in his arms.

I must admit, I almost cried with the tenderness of such a vision. He had noticed me, of course he had, yet he didn't move, he just was there, stroking our daughter's head. She was fast asleep, and her little face looked too beautiful and angelical. It was hard to believe she was mine at all, she was just too perfect, and looked so like her dad... quietly, I approached them from behind the couch.

"Hi, honey," I whispered in his ear.

"Hi, love." We kissed long and softly, there was more love in that kiss that passion. "Sit here, next to me."

I walked around and sat on the couch, letting his free arm wrap me and snuggling up against his chest.

"I waited all day for this moment," said he, softly. "I think we deserve a moment for ourselves, our family."

"I couldn't agree more," I answered. I leaned forward to kiss Hershey's tiny fluff of hair and then Jasper's lips.

"Look at her," he continued, his eyes fixed on our baby. "With her eyes closed, like this, she appears so frail, so small... She is new to this world, still impolluted, so innocent and clean..."

"Remember what Emmett said when she was born?" I said. "That he could perfectly understand why she was so pretty, we had put a lot of effort? Well, I think he was right. No child has had more love, more care, than ours."

"Right you are, love," he said, and for a moment a current of desire floated between our eyes. "And do you know what I value most from her?" I shook my head. "She's you, and she's me, at the same time. When I met you, I so badly wanted to have something yours, something that would remind me of you whenever I looked at it. I tried to associate everything I saw with you: flowers, songs, the park... And now, with this baby..." he lightly caressed her face, "I have everything. She is you, she came from you. She spent nine months inside you, and you shaped her beautifully, perfectly. And, miraculously enough, she has something mine, too. Everytime I think I somehow contributed to her existence I feel so proud, so glad, so... _whole_."

"She's very like you," I told him. "Not only in appearance, that we can all see. But you have noticed, she has some of you powers, your charm, she's you, too. And this is what I always longed for, ever since I met you. I wanted to fusion the love I felt for you with the love I hoped you felt for me, to see the fruit of all those feelings, and I didn't quite know what I wanted until I knew she was coming. And, believe me, Jasper, those nine months during which I felt you, our love, growing inside me, were the happiest of my life. Just look at the result, she's simply _perfect_. I, too, feel whole with you two by my side."

We kissed, long and passionately, his hand securing me by the hair, while one of my own hands clung at his shoulder and the other hugged both him and our daughter. Then he took a remote control and pulsed a button. Soft music filled the air when he asked me to dance. And so we danced, all three of us, slowly and tenderly, each step whispering a word of love.


	15. Always the same

**Hello, my dear ones. Last one before Christmas! Therefore, I tell you now that I love you and that your following this story means a lot, really a lot, to me. "We wish you a Merry Christmas / We wish you a Merry Christmas / We wish you a Merry Christmas / And a happy New Year" Have a great time with your families and enjoy this time.**

**Be happy, and Thank You**

**Always the same**

Next morning, when she awoke in my arms, I felt perfectly happy. Given that we wanted to take care of our baby, but we _needed _to be together, we moved her cradle to our bedroom. It's been there since then. But as I was saying, having both my women with me right now was everything I'd ever asked from life. Alice looked at me with her sleepy blue eyes and smiled.

"Hi, love," she said.

I answered with a kiss, and hers was so sweet, so beautiful, I almost lost control there and then. Involuntarily, I began to project my emotions –which I had been containing all night and that had become quite intense- and therefore to affect hers. We were about to, _about to_, when...

"UUUUAAAAAHHHHHH !!!!!!!"

"Oh, no," said Alice, "she can wait. Later." But she was already on her way towards Hershey.

She took the child in her arms and went back to bed. While she breastfed her she gestured at her lap and said to me,

"Come, darling, come here."

Once my head was on her legs she ran her free hand through my hair. This reminded me of something.

"Honey," I started, "do you remember that night when this little pancake," at that I pointed at Hershey, "made me go prepare a strawberry milkshake?"

She thought for a moment and then smiled. "Of course. The first time she moved."

"Right. And you soaked salted cookies in that milkshake."

She blushed. "I was hungry."

"I know, sweetheart," I said, stroking her cheek. What I mean is, everything now is the same as then: same house, same room, same bed... Even us: the three together, you, beautiful as always, feeding our baby, with my head on your lap, and I, laying here, the luckiest man on Earth, loving you every time more and more." I leaned forward to kiss her again.

"I love you, too," she whispered. "Every single day of forever, you can be sure I'll be here, loving you."

We didn't have any more words that could express what we were feeling, so we just stared at each other for a while. When Hershey was satisfed we accomodated ourselves the normal way, Alice put the baby between us and we hugged each other over her. We weren't in any hurry, once the issue of her magazine was closed she had two weeks before she had to work again, and I had scheduled all my meetings and important stuff from work so I could have the same two weeks free to spend with my two queens.

We enjoyed those days thoroughly, with shopping trips and walks around the park. Hershey was growing surprisingly fast, and I was sure my genes had something to do with that. But she was developing healthy and beautiful –though for that last part we should thank my amazing wife-, and that made my heart burst with paternal pride. I could tell that Alice was equally happy, and that gave the last touch to my perfect life.

But during the last week clouds appeared in our sky. It all started when I found Alice in the living room, sitting with the baby in her arms and a rather worried look in her pretty face.

"Chiquita, what's the matter?" I asked, feeling the exact amount of her worry.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I just have... a feeling."

"What kind of feeling?"

"I wish I knew. It started a couple of days ago, actually. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you. But I feel something here and here," she placed a hand on her stomach and heart, "and I don't like it. I feel something is going to happen, and it won't be good." She was frowning in frustration and worry. Then she looked up and met my eyes. "Sorry, love. I shouldn't be saying these things. After all, it's only a feeling, and who can know if it's right?"

Ah, but it was. She never failed. Sure enough, as we welcomed the second week of June something happened. Our aniversary was this month –three years, can you believe it?-, and we started the preparations to celebrate. That meant, we had to fill the house with our special flower, the red rose. The most beautiful of their kind bloomed in the wood that was right behind our house, and so we went to pick some. We took Hershey with us, for we wanted her to feel the tradition of these roses.

As we walked I sensed something strange. Maybe the air, or the light, but something wasn't right. I could tell that Alice felt it, too. We held hands and kept walking. But after a few yards she said,

"Honey, can we... can we go back home?"

"Yes, I think it's a-"

"Oh, but why should you leave? It's such a beautiful day!" This was a third voice, a voice we unfortunately knew only too well.

"Aro," whispered Alice.

"Alice, how lovely to see you again!" said he as he moved away from the shadows and branches, revealing his figure. "And your daughter too! This is a happy surprise!"

"Yeah, it's great. But, why didn't you tell us you were here?" she spoke in a pleasant, confident way; only I could feel how very terrified she was.

"Ah, you could call it an old man's whim. You all looked so pretty together, with your child in your husband's arms, that I didn't want to disturb you. So I followed you." he said simply, with one of his gentle smiles.

"Oh, but you should have let us know your presence," I said. "We are more that delighted to have you here. And what do we owe the honour?"

"Jasper, Jasper, you're too formal. We're friends! I came here because I know you'll be celebrating your aniversary soon, and I want to congratulate you. I arrived early because I didn't want to interrupt you on the very day."

"That's very considerate of you. Thank you." how could Alice keep so calm? I wasn't helping, I was too nervous and angry. Oh, she was a treasure.

"And speaking of time..." began Aro. "Your heart has an interesting rhythm, Alice. Too... active."

Her heart was beating frantically, but we all knew that was not what he meant. What interested him was that it was still beating. "Well, Aro, the point is, we... we were thinking of having more children, and I need to be human for that. It won't be long, I promise, but since we're so happy with Hershey, we'd like to try again, plus it would be nice if she had someone to play with." Though her heart seemed about to explode, she kept calm and corteous. God, I love this woman.

"I see," said Aro. "But don't take too long, or Hershey will be too old to play with them. Plus, I'm dying to see you as one of us. You'd be prettier, if possible, and I don't want to miss that. So if I were you, I'd hurry up, Jasper," he patted me on the back. "Goodbye, my dear friends! Congratulations!" He cooed Hershey for a moment and then turned to MY Alice. He took her softly by the chin and brushed her lips with his own. MY Alice. Had I not been holding my daughter, that would have been his end.

And with that kiss he left.

**And now on Facebook! Finally! Find me as Alice BrandonWhitlock, or with my e-mail adress: sxyvamp_. See you there!**

**Merry Christmas!**

**¡Feliz Navidad!**

**Frohe Weinachten!**


	16. Surprises

**Surprises**

"So you're leaving with Edward and Emmett?" she asked.

"Yes. Hunting, you know. It's been a while since our last trip."

"Ok. But you'll come home on time, won't you?"

"Of course I will. I'd never miss our anniversary party."

Alice's laughter echoed from the bathroom, where she was exfoliating her lips for the millonth time in the week. Her skin was cracked with everything she had used to clean herself from Aro's kiss, I could even swear I smelled straight bleach once. Then she came out, prettier than ever in that old pajamas she wanted to throw away and that I made her keep because it looked so cute on her. She climbed onto the bed and smile naughtily.

"You have three days, sir. One more minute and I'll think you don't want me anymore and I'll run away with Jacob."

Her mood was joking, she was just having fun, but the mention of that jerk suddenly made me angry. Who did he think he was, that useless boy, to even dare to look at my Alice? I must have projected some of my annoyment, because she started to laugh,

"C'mon, darling, you know I only mention Jacob because I like your jealous face," she kissed the top of my head. "I would never, could never, leave you." She tried to raise from the bed, but I caught her hand and pulled her to me. I kissed her lips –whose cracks only made them better, they proved she loved _me_- and tried to suggest an idea for which she wouldn't even need to move from the bed. But she pushed me away with a giggle and said,

"No way, Jazz! Go away in this moment!" she took my hands and pulled me up. "The sooner you go, the sooner you'll return. And then..." she trailed off suggestively. "So out! Out of my bedroom, now! Out, out, out!"

I went downstairs, still smiling at her behaviour. I met my brothers in the living room and we prepared to leave. But that morning was different, somehow, and it took me a while to find out what had changed: Edward.

While Emmett drove I examined him. He hadn't answered any of our thoughts, not even the ones that were directed at him. He didn't react to Emmett's jokes or to my growing worries, he was somewhere else, totally absent, and I couldn't understand the rare mixture of his feelings –confusion, worry, sudden excitement, frustration. As soon as we got to the forest I said,

"Edward, we need to talk." Even Emmett was serious now. "Sit down, brother, and tell us what's troubling you. You know you can trust us, don't you?"

He nodded slowly and sighed. Then he began in a low voice,

"Something has happened, and I don't think I deserve it. It's too good for me. But I want it so badly! Yet..."

"But what happened?" asked Emmett. "Something with your talents? Or... have you found _il tuo _or _la tua cantante_?"

"I-I don't know. I... I met someone."

"Someone who...."

"Remember our last hunting trip? The one where we visited a new town?" We nodded. "Well, there was his police chief, a-and he... he had a... daughter."

"A girl?" said Emmett.

"Yes. Isabella."

The way his lips curved around her name left no doubt as to what was troubling him. I couldn't help smiling when he continued,

"She prefers to be called just Bella. Bella... Spanish for "beautiful", such an appropiate name... she's seventeen, but much more mature inside. The way she moves and speaks... and I can't read her thoughts."

"_What!?_" exclaimed Emmett, who thought Edward infallible.

"Yes. Her mind is as silent as a flower. But her eyes are like a window to her soul, they are like a partiture, not a sound, but when you learn to read it is so wonderful..."

"Well, it's not that bad, is it?" I said. "So you like a girl. Big deal. She's human. So? I married one, you know. You can't read her mind. Well, it's always like that for the rest of us, and you'll live through it. What's the problem, then?"

"The problem is," he said slowly. "She is my _cantante_."

That left us speechless. I remembered how I had thanked heaven because Alice's blood didn't have such a strong power on me, how blessed I'd thought I was because she wasn't my _cantante, _and that gave me the chance to get closer to her until she fell in love, too. The worst fear among our kind was facing love inside the figure of ths "singer". And now that had happened to my brother.

"But surely..." Emmett started, "if you were able to resist her when you met her, you'll control yourself later. It's just a matter of practice, bro."

"I didn't kill her because there were lots of people watching. But if they hadn't been there..." I felt Edward's sheer desperation and tried to calm him. He looked at me with a tiny smile, but I knew not even my powers could ever fight this emotional crisis.

"Edward, listen," I said. "If you love her, if you really, truly love her, then you'll be able to protect her. Think about the way you feel, the way she makes you feel, and try to see it that's true love. If it is, then nothing, not even yourself, will distract you. Your love will be stronger than yourself."

"Now hunt," continued Emmett, "hunt as much as you can. Fill yourself and return to that girl. Just drink enough blood that you won't take hers even if you want to, ok? Everything will be fine, bro, you'll see. We'll help you."

We stood up and hugged each other. Then we set off to hunt.

***

A couple of hours later I met Edward again. He was finishing a gazelle and when he was done he turned to me and said,

"How was it for you, with Alice?"

"Well, the first thing I noticed about her was her beauty. She was –she is- too pretty. Sometimes it hurts to watch. Then she came closer, and I pecked her on the cheek. But when she walked the air brought me her scent. It was unbearably sweet, fresh, like a mature fruit, or flowers, of a lake. That perfume made the most beautiful pictures appear in my head."

"But, didn't you want to... bite her?"

"Of course. But that's mere instinct. I accept that she smelled particularly good, and that for a while I wondered how her blood would taste like. But the truth is, the first thing I wondered about her was what it would be like to kiss her. That was the first thing I desired from her."

"Just a kiss," he said, thoughtful. "And have you ever tasted her blood?"

I sighed. "Yes." I finally said. His eyes looked at me in surprise and admiration. "She offered it to me. One day, we were in the kitchen and accidentally she sliced her hand open. I had to leave the room, feeling ashamed and miserable. After a while she came and told me to close my eyes. I did so and felt something being smeared on my lips with the tips of her fingers. It didn't take me too long to realize it was her blood, her very own and precious blood. I savoured it, the strong concentration of her aroma, and the pretty images returned, a thousand times stronger. She stroked my head all the while. It was beautiful."

Edward paced around the trees, feeling for the first time that he might be able after all. I felt proud of him. He was still undecided, though, and I tried to help him with my talent, showing him how very strong he really was. He turned to me, sighed, and smiled.

"I'll try," he said. "I'll try."

***

I didn't see him for the rest of the day, and most of the next one. But at night he returned to where Emmett and I were waiting for him. He was much calmer now, I could tell he had thought about our conversation and had seen himself as he really was. He told us he'd go to that town where his Bella lived in two or three days and would try to talk to her, to see if his feelings were corresponded. I considered that maybe talking to the girls of our family would help him knowing what to do and what to tell her, and told him so in my mind. His mood told me he dreaded the idea but would follow it anyway, because he thought it would help, too.

So many surprises in so few days... Aro's visit, Edward's falling in love... but the one that interested me the most, and the one I had all my hopes in, was the one I'd give my Alice by returning before the expected. I smiled to myself, anticipating what that surprise would include, and returned home.

**Happy New Year, everybody !!! Eclipse is coming ! Don't forget, June 30****th**** !! You wanted Bella, here she is, I hope you like her. My dear people, I must insist on this, I need your help for my essay. Thanks to all the ones who have submitted their answers:**

**winx flora-helia fan**

**bubbleblub11**

**AmberG (with whom I absolutely agree about Alice needing to face her human past)**

**xXMythical-Midnight-SunXx**

MyChemicalGreenDayRomance

**Thank you, guys. To the rest, I remind that the deadline is February 14****th**** and that the questions are:**

**1.-How / why did you start reading Twilight?**

**2.-What / who do you like the most?**

**3.-What / who do you like the least?**

**4.-****What's the craziest thing you've ever done for Twilight?  
5.-How many people have you lent your books to?**

**6.-Your age and country**

P-L-E-A-S-E-!-!-! 


	17. Anniversary

**Yes, yes, I know I took too long. But I've had a hectic week and my frustrated need to write tortured me every second of it. Today (well, yesterday when you read this) I was out of my city and returned very late AND then I started to write only so you could get your chapter and abandon all ideas of murdering me (those are all mine, I want to murder my Math teacher in a very sadistic way). Here it is, and be happy !!!**

**Anniversary**

I got home around two o'clock. I went upstairs as silently as I could, knowing my Alice was asleep. I opened the door of our bedroom and went on tiptoes to Hershey's cradle. She was dreaming as no one else could, sleeping like a log. Under the moonlight her little face had exactly the same elfish expression as her mom's. She was too beautiful, and it almost broke my heart with tenderness. I kissed her hair and moved to the bed, to Alice.

I bent forward, meaning to peck her pretty lips, but then-

"BOOOO !!!!" Alice's voice pierced the air. Before I could say something she was on top of me, pinning me to the matress and silencing my mouth with hers. I could hear her laughter filtrating through the kiss.

"You were awake !" I exclaimed as soon as I could speak.

"Of course," she said with a grin.

"But... how did you know I was coming back tonight?"

"I just... knew," she answered. I looked at her with curiosity. During the last weeks, those "I just knew"s had become more and more frequent. What was going on with my elf?

But my thoughts were interrupted by another kiss, this one longer and sweeter. I simply could not resist it, that kiss was too beautiful, and when I realized she was wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that looked damn sexy on her I just lost control. I rolled till it was me on top and drowned myself in her beauty.

Because everything in her was that, beauty, the purest beauty ever. Her eyes were sweet and kind, crystal-like in their innocence. Her features were delicate, and she often reminded me of a porcelain doll, or, as I have always said, an elf. This appearance was accentuated by her tiny, diminute figure. Her size was such that her head could barely touch my shoulders, and sometimes I even feared I could break her. Even when she was pregnant with Hershey I had feared more for her. But yes, she was very strong, fact proven by the contorsions of her pretty body under mine. She moved in true pleasure and joy, and to see her pleasure was my pleasure, too. I adored every inch of her skin, every pore, every curve. But what I really loved the most was her mouth, a cherry red rose button that now shaped itself in endless kisses and words of love; out of it came her sweet voice, marvellously deformed into growls and moans, with my name slipping in between them from time to time. I was a happy man.

And she seemed a happy woman, too, as she curled herself in my arms after our love outburst.

"I love you, Jasper," she whispered.

"I love you too, Alice," I answered, and kissed her head.

We stayed like that for minutes, hours, I don't know. I had even thought she'd fallen asleep when she spoke,

"Darling?"

"Hm-hm?"

"Will I ever be like you?"

It took me a while to answer. She wanted to know if she would ever be a vampire.

"Chiquita, do you really want it?" I asked.

"I want to be with you. Forever. And I don't want you to be afraid of hurting me, to worry about me so much. I fear for our daughter, Jazz, what if something happened to me and she was left alone? And what if-"

"Wait, wait, wait. I will always worry about you because I love you as no one had ever loved before. I think you love me, too, so there's no way we wouldn't stay together forever. And, baby, do you think Hershey would ever be alone? She has me, her father, and a whole family to support her. But you don't have to think about that, because I will never let anything hurt you, ok?"

"Yes. But..."

"But?"

Alice met my eyes and said, "Well, I... I _want_ to be like you. I really do."

Why? Why? Why did she have to want that? She knew I would give her anything to make her happy, and I would do it gladly, but did it have to be that? For me, changing her was completely out of the question, at least then, but I couldn't break her heart just like that. Instead I told her,

"Let's do something. Let's wait, at least until... until we've had another child, as you wanted before. Meanwhile, think seriously about what you're saying. If after that you still want to be changed I...I will do it myself. But first think."

"Ok. I promise." And, after a pause, she added, "Jazz... do you really want another baby?" The smile on her face made me optimistic again, and we began to make plans.

***

She managed to sleep a little bit before the morning came. In order not to disturb her, as soon as I heard Hershey moving I went to her cradle. I took her in my arms and while I cooed her I tried to decide which bottle to feed her with. The point was, my little half-human, half-vampire daughter could survive on both milk and blood; moreover, she loved them both. _And_ her eyes didn't change colour depending on hunger, but always remained sky blue. Therefore, it wasn't easy to guess what she would like for breakfast, and I could only look from the bottles

to her trying to figure it out.

"Which one do you want, my princess?" I asked her, gesturing at both bottles. Her little hands reached out for the red one. Blood, then. But when she was about to start drinking I heard Alice's sleepy voice,

"Don't let her convince you, love. It's always milk in the morning. Blood so early gives her colics." After that she sank back into sleep.

I looked back at Hershey, who smiled shamelessly. I winked at her and offered her the blood bottle, getting a soft baby giggle in compensation. I turned around and found my wife wide awake, her face a mask of mock anger,

"You traitor!" she exclaimed. She stood up, wrapped in a blanket, and walked towards us. She paused for a moment and then hugged Hershey and me. "What am I going to do with you two?" she said tenderly. She stood on tiptoes to see our daughter in my arms and her eyes melted in sweetness.

We both contemplated our baby for a while, until Alice sighed,

"It's going to be a long day. I'd better get ready." With that she went to the bathroom.

I heard the water of the shower run. As soon as Hershey emptied her bottle I took her to the bed with me and started talking.

"What a pretty baby," I cooed. "A very pretty baby, indeed. She's a princess. A princess of a beautiful kingdom. My princess." I pressed her little body against my heart and kissed her soft head.

While I laid there I became aware of the vapour coming from the bathroom. Very aware. Aware of its warmth, of its softness, and of the cloud of perfume that was undeniably Alice's. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, and her jasmine-ish aroma came to me in heavy doses that made it hard to concentrate. To refocus myself I lifted Hershey as Rafiki did with Simba when introducing him to the world, only she was facing me rather than a crowd of admirers.

"Hi there, Hershey," I said. "Do you like it, being a baby? Is it boring?" She laughed and kicked the air, probably thinking her dad was crazy. I could have cried with the love of her. "Today is a very special day for Mommy and me. Three years of marriage, do you understand that? Three years devoted to her. And everything happened so fast! I met her, three months later I told her I loved her, and six months after that she was walking down the aisle, breathtaking in a white dress, and said 'I do'. And then you came, to make my life absolutely perfect." I brought her closer to me and kissed her little pink cheek. "Your mom and you are the loves of my life."

Only after saying that did I realize Alice was observing me. She had a way of being unnoticed and fooling my sharp senses I would never be able to understand. She was leaning against the bathroom door, with a towel around her and a smile on her face. She came closer and kissed me softly on the lips.

"You are the love of my life, too," she whispered.

***

The party at The House was a quiet affair. Esme insisted on how happy she was for me, and repeated that Alice was now another daughter for her. Carlisle wished us "many more centuries of happiness", and smiled proudly with Esme by his side. Rose thanked Alice for having "brought me back to life" and for having given her such a beautiful niece. Edward spoke awkwardly, not being used to having the three couples at their maximum romantic point.

"You are disgustingly in love, and I hope I never get that crazy, but I'm glad for you."

"Thanks, Edward," answered Alice, "but I'm sure you will soon be just as insane as us. There's someone for you out there, maybe, I don't know... the daughter of a police chief, perhaps? Time will tell." She smiled innocently.

Edward looked at me and I could sense his feeling of betrayal. _I never said a word to her, believe me! _I told him in my mind, _She's psychic!_ He still wasn't convinced. _Trust me, bro, I had better things to do last night that talking about your love life. _He seemed to believe me after that.

When we prepared to leave Emmett and Rosalie asked us (no, begged us) to let them keep Hershey for the night.

"Come on, guys, don't tell us you aren't desperate to have the house all for yourselves," said Emmett, "We'll do you a favour and look after the incarnation of evil for tonight." He spoke in a teasing tone, but I could feel under it the same need my sister had, that of feeling Hershey was their child.

"You need not ask," I answered. "She's all yours." Their faces lit up like Christmas had come earlier.

And so we went home. I could feel Alice's emotions, happy in anticipation, and radiating tons of love. I let her know my feelings were exactly the same ones. As soon as we closed the main door I began kissing her, hardly able to wait any longer to love her. At first she seemed to respond, but then she moved away,

"Wait, love," she said. "Not so fast."

I looked at her with puppy eyes and she smiled. "Trust me, honey. You will like this."

She kissed me once more. Then she searched inside one of the bags of presents our family had given us until she found what she wanted. It was a Lione Richie CD, from Carlisle, _Truly the love songs._ She approached the CD player in the living room and the soft musice began to sound. She started with the second track, _My endless love_, a duet with Diana Ross I'd never heard before. Then she went back to me and held my hand.

"I haven't forgotten the time you asked me to dance a couple of weeks ago. It's my turn now. Jasper Whitlock, would you do me the honour?"

How could I disappoint such a face? I put my own needs aside, knowing she was more important than anything else, and began moving to the soft and slow rythm of the her tiny, beautiful figure pressed tight against my body was much more than I could have ever asked for, or even imagined. It was simply perfect. While we danced, her sweet voice joined the lyrics, and she sang only for me.

"Do you remember when we met?" she said after a while.

"I could never forget it. I was getting interviewed by your magazine. The reporter came in, an arrogant man I'll never like. And behind him I saw a girl, no older than eighteen, with a scared look in her eyes and a heart that beat a thousand times per minute. She was the most nervous, most insecure girl I'd ever seen. But she was also the most beautiful, the most charming, the most amazing girl anyone, anywhere, has ever seen." I kissed her on the lips. "And do you want to know the best part? The unbelievable and gloriour best part?" she nodded softly. I leaned forward and whispered in her ear. _"I married her."_ When I looked at her again tears were shining in her eyes.

"I was so scared..." she said. "I'd never had such an important mission, and I was sure I would fail." She sighed. "And by the way, the arrogant man is James, my boss, and he'd better never hear you, or he'll fire_ me_." She laughed.

Now she was the one to start the kiss, and what began as a sweet, tender caress suddenly exploded in a mindless frenzy, where the last thing I remember was the sound of fabric being violently torn and the crashing of our bodies against the floor when we realized we wouldn't make it to the bedroom.

Three years of loving her with soul and body, and I was ready for a millenia.


	18. Lections

Yes, yes, I know I hadn't updated. Sorry. But I've been out of town more often that I'd like, and access to a computer, and a computer with Internet (God, what a luxury!) has been more than diffcult. If it comforts you, I'm writing this when in fact I should be studying for a Biology exam tomorrow. Well, by the time you read this, I will already have done (and failed) it. Ah, life... Anyway, once more, sorry. Enjoy!

**Lections**

It was mid-June now, and unbearably hot. The sun made my family stay indoors for most of the time, which had me very annoyed, because it meant no shopping trips or walks around the park until Mr. Sun was kind enough to go ruin other vampires' lives. Edward had been gone for almost two weeks, to try to approach Bella, the human girl he had met almost a month ago, and both Rosalie and Emmett had run away because of the weather, so I was left almost without any options of entertainment. Therefore, I decided to honour _Business Class_ with my visit.

Jasper offered to drive me there, and though I told him over and over again that it wasn't necessary he insisted so much I had to agree. We took our baby with us and drove through the boiling streets. We made plans for the coming sunless days and chatted about anything. Truth be told, if I didn't love Jasper so much as a man, I'd still like him as a friend. He's polite and pleasant, can talk about anything, he knows it all. His advice is always wise, and he always has an answer. I think that was the true success of our marriage, there was a great friendship, too.

He finally parked inside the magazine's reserved area and opened the door for me, which was even more considerable now, because he was also holding Hershey. We had already kissed goodbye -a soft, discreet peck on the lips- when he suddenly pulled me to him and kissed me enthusiastically.

"I love you, darling," he said, a bit too loud for the empty parking lot. "See you later." And, with a sigh, he added, "I'm so happy to have you and _our daughter_ with me." His voice was still too loud. "Bye, love." He kissed me again.

And while he got into the car I turned around and realized the parking lot wasn't as empty as I'd thought. Jacob was standing a few yards away, smiling and holding the door of the building open. He gestured with his hand to let me know he had it open for me. So this was why Jasper had practically shouted a minute ago. Overprotective fool. Jealous fool.

"Hi," I said to Jacob.

"Hello, Alice," he beamed. "Hadn't see you in a while."

"Yeah, well, we're about to close this month's issue, and I figured I'd better come before James dragged me here."

"Well thought," he agreed.

We took the lift and I used the time to text message Jasper: _So a just-graduated human YOUNGER than me can scare you? Interesting. _A few seconds later my phone vibrated with his answer: _I'm not scared . He just... needed a lection._ Ha, ha, of course.

When the lift doors opened the first thing I heard were James's screams

"Do I pay you to sit around all day, warming your chairs and gossiping? Do I? Do I? NO, I don't !!" the group of girls he was yelling at quickly shook their heads. "Now go and give me something mildly decent by one o'clock or you'll be chatting while you look for a new job!"

"Poor girls," I whispered to Jacob. "It's already eleven. They won't make it."

He giggled.

"And that goes for you too, Black!!" Jacob nodded and ran toward his desk.

Then James turned to me. I bit my lip, waiting for my own share of his anger.

"Alice, dear, how lovely to see you!" his voice was all marshmallow now and some of the staff exchanged looks at our boss's bipolarity. "How's the family?"

"Fine, thanks. Hating the sun."

"Oh, I know, it's awful. But come in, please, I have something to offer you."

We walked inside his office. Poor James, he thinks the entire world is scared of him, but I know what a sweet man he really is. Right there, in a corner, where he thought nobody would notice, he'd placed a photo of his wife, Victoria. I know her, she's a lovely woman with a wonderful red hair that makes me envious. Ah, life's unfair.

Well, not _that_ unfair. James's offer consisted of being in charge of the shooting during the Bill Gates interview, something that would add points to my CV and extra money to my card. Also, he wanted me to write an article on what to do when you are overdraft, something I've always been an expert in. I really like being the boss's favourite.

I went to the office I barely used and started brainstorming about my new article. About an hour and a half later my cell phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Hello, Al, it's me, Edward."

"Edward! You're back! I didn't expect you this soon."

"Yeah, well. Um... I'd like to talk to you. Where are you?"

"At work," I said, as if that were the usual.

"Really? Wow. Could I pick you up in fifteen minutes? It's cloudy now, we'll be safe."

"Sure. I'll be waiting. Oh, but tell Jasper, he's in his Jealous Stage, and he's mistrusting even Jacob."

Edward laughed. "Ok, I will. See you, then."

"Bye."

When I hung up I was worried. Behind his laughter, Edward had sounded kind of sad and tired, not what could be expected after spending about three weeks with his crush. Therefore, I wondered what had happened to leave him in such state. Yes, he was prone to life-threatening idiocy, depresion, and self-hatred, but, still, love couldn't have activated any of these, could it?

Luckily he was punctual, and before one he called again to announce he was in the parking lot. As I walked to meet him, I saw the group of girls James had shouted at when I arrived, panicking because (as I had predicted) they didn't have anything to give him and there were only ten minutes left. I couldn't help a smile.

And then I saw Edward. He was leaning against his Volvo, head down and looking as sad and tired as he sounded on the phone. I approached him.

"Hi Edward."

"Hi, Al. Nice to see you again." He mumbled.

He sighed, more miserable than ever. I pulled him into a hug. He was just as tall as Jazz, so I was sure he wouldn't even feel me, but I did my best. He hugged me back, and rested his head on my shoulder. Then he moved away.

"Enough," he said. "I _do_ feel you, and you smell better than you think."

Only then I noticed his black eyes, darker than I'd ever seen them. Wow, he was really depressed. We headed toward the park in silence and then I spoke.

"What happened, Edward?"

He looked at me. "I wish I knew."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything was fine, I managed to talk to her, to introduce myself, she even went out to me once. And then..."

"And then..."

"She wouldn't answer my calls. She wouldn't reply to my mails. She wouldn't look at me if we met on the street. I eavesdropped inside her friends' minds, but I couldn't find anything out of place. She ignores me, and I don't know what to do. You're a woman, Alice, and human, you understand this better than I do. Help me, please."

This was a difficult case. I thought for a while and then asked him

"When you introduced yourself, what did you do? I mean, what did you say, how did you move?"

"I 'crashed' with her and dropped my books. She helped me to pick them up and I said, 'Thanks.' She smiled, and blushed, and looked down, mumbling something like, 'You're welcome'. And then I said 'Oh, um, I'm Edward Cullen, by the way.' And then her heart accelerated and she said 'I'm Bella. Bella Swan.' And so we began chatting."

"And you smiled like you just did?"

"Yes. And I think that was my mistake, because everytime I smiled she looked away and her heart would beat faster and-"

"Stop, stop, stop. I think I understand. When girls look at you, and you smile back, how do they react?"

"They start thinking things you don't really wanna hear."

"And what else?"

"Well, they smile, and blush, and look down, and sometimes their hearts-" he stopped.

"See my point?"

"Do you think she was nervous because she... liked me? Like the other girls?"

"When faced with such a smile, all girls think the same."

He laughed and I felt relieved, knowing truth was starting to dawn on him. But then he asked

"And how do you explain her running away from me?"

"Come here." We sat on a bench and I pulled out a mirror. I put it in front of him and said, "What do you see?"

"I see myself."

"More than that. Forget the name or identity. What do you see?"

"I see a guy." I nodded. This was working.

"How does the guy look like?"

"Dark hair. Black eyes. Well, when I met her, they were golden. White face. White teeth."

"Do you think he's handsome?"

"I think you can answer that question better than I can."

I laughed. "Yes. Yes I can, and yes he's handsome. Too handsome. Like his brother."

"When did we start talking about Emmett?"

"You know fully well I'm _not_ talking about him. I mean Jasper."

"I know. So?"

"So I'm going to tell you something. You know I met Jazz when James interviewed him and I took the photos." He nodded. "What you don't know is how I suffered because of him."

"Suffered?"

"Yes. I fell in love with him since the first time I saw him. The next day, he sent me flowers, but I thought it was out of politeness. And then he asked me out. I went, thinking that maybe he needed something from me. But he didn't. And then he asked me out again. By this point any other girl would already have decided that his interest was more than professional. But I didn't.

"Why?"

"Because it was too good! Imagine you're a simple, normal girl, a just graduated photographer. And you meet a rich entrepreneur, young, terribly handsome, with a career and a succesful life. He can get any woman he likes. So, would it make any sense that he chose you?"

Edward bit his lip and didn't answer.

"There you go. Now, imagine you're the police chief's daughter, human, simple, who lives in a small town. And then you see this misterious, super-looking guy, with a thousand different degrees and more money that he can count. Does it make any sense that he likes you?"

"But I do."

"But is it logical?"

Again, he didn't answer.

"See? From the point of view of us human girls the fact that men like you can feel something for us is hard to believe, fall in love with us, utterly impossible. It takes a while to accept you really like us. She went out with you because she would have to be very stupid not to. But now that she has noticed your interest she freaks out, because she can't believe it. She evades you, because she feels it's better this way, with everyone in the right place, but she thinks too little of herself to see her place is with you. She can't believe her luck."

"So what should I do? Gifts? Letters? Roses and songs, like Jasper does with you?"

"No. Not now. Well, maybe flowers, but anything else would be worse because she'd feel she's getting more than she can give-"

"But that's not true!" he interrupted.

"I know, but that's how it feels. Look, go back and try to run into her. Then tell her you've noticed a certain coldness towards you, and say you're sorry for having offended her. She'll then tell you she's not angry. You'll insist on making up for any offense, and you'll invite her to go for a walk. Kind of start all over again."

"And later?"

"Take your time. Go to her rhythm. Give her flowers, compliment her on how she looks today. And when both of you feel more comfortable, recall all the poetry you have read and use it. It always works, believe me."

"And if I want to kiss her?"

"Try. See how far she wants to go and accept it. Don't worry, you'll know when is the right time for each thing."

"How can I, if I can't read her mind?"

"Well, most of us have to live like that, you know. This is the moment for you to sharpen your intuition, to hear souls the same way you hear thoughts. It's not that hard. I will help you if you want."

He sighed and looked at me. Then he let out a guffaw and opened his arms for me.

"What would I do without you?" he said while he mussed my hair. "What would I do?"

"Be very, very happy," I answered. "Now go to your Bella. Behave like a true Cullen and win her heart, ok?"

"Ok. Ah, Alice, how can I ever thank you?"

"Find out why on Earth Jasper thinks I'd prefer Jacob to him, and what I need to do to prove he's wrong."

"Yes, ma'am."

We chatted a little more and then we went our ways. While I walked I thought about how even when the Cullen guys had been alive for centuries, they still had lots of lections to learn about life. How to trust themselves, how to win and keep someone's heart. Funny, that they needed such reassurances and advice. I hoped that at least Carlisle and Emmett were mature enough not to-

_Riiiing!_

"Hello?"

"Hi Alice, it's Carlisle. Sorry to interrupt you, but, has Esme mentioned anything about anything I did that offended her? Because, well, she's been rather cold these days, and I fear I might have hurt her, and she might be angry, and she might not want me anymore and..."

Oh. My. God.

**C'mon, guys, that pretty, little, green button doesn't bite. ****I DO. **** So, please,**

**R-E-V-I-E-W-!-!-!**


	19. Crisis

**Hello, pretty people! I know, it's ben a while, but, you see: on Wednesday I had a Sports Day at school. Tiring, but my team won the Soccer Cup. On Thursday I had to go try clothes on for the play I'm dancing in. Saturday another soccer tournament where I had to sell food. AND I saw Valentine's Day (highly recommended, I l-o-v-e-d it). Today, Monday, is my first chance to write in two weeks. I wholeheartedly apologize. Enjoy!**

**Crisis**

I rush home and try to find Carlisle. As always, he's in his study, but now there's a look of misery in his eyes that is deeply moving.

"Carlisle, what's the matter?" I ask, and hug him.

"I wish I knew, Al. Something's going on with Esme."

"But... what happened? Did you have a fight?"

"No, no. But she's been acting a little... weird."

"What do you mean, weird?"

"Yes, the other day she was using her computer, but as soon as she saw me, she turned it off. She had never done that before. We didn't use to have secrets."

"Did you ask her anything about it?"

"Yes. And she said everything was ok and, no, she wasn't hiding anything, why would she. But, Alice, believe me, I know she's keeping something from me. For example, another day she was on the phone, talking to I don't know who, but when she noticed me she changed from English to James Bond. This is not my Esme. I want mine back."

"Don't worry, Carlisle. I'll see what I can do."

I leave his study and find Rosalie outside. As soon as she sees me she says

"No matter how hard you try, you won't get anything out of Esme. She's as silent as a tomb. A tomb... a tomb! Wish I could ever see one. A tomb!" And away she goes, laughing at her own joke.

That doesn't mean I won't insist. I go upstairs, right to Carlisle and Esme's room, and knock.

"Come in, Alice." Dah, they always know it's me. I hate vampire super hearing.

"Hello, Esme."

"Hello, darling. Come, sit beside me." She pats the bed. As soon as I sit she starts. "Listen, I know you're worried about what's going on between Carlisle and me. But I assure you –and this goes for him, too- that there's nothing wrong in our relationship. He has never offended me in any way, ever, and I still love him the way I did when I met him. There's no crisis in our marriage."

"Then... what's the problem? I mean, Carlisle is really concerned, you know how he loves you."

"I know," she smiles. "But this is something I must deal with on my own. When the moment comes, I will let you know. Right now all you have to do is trust me, ok?" I nod. "Very well, then. Send my love to Jazz and Hershey."

She kisses my forehead and I leave. Downstairs, I meet Carlisle and look at him, trying to apologize. He smiles understandingly.

I walk home. And just in the moment I get there, I meet Jazz, arriving at the same time with our baby in a pram.

"Hi, love," I blow him a kiss. "Hi, honey," I add, bending down to kiss my daughter. "Did you have fun with Daddy?"

"Oh, yes, she did," answers he. "We went shopping. She's a natural at that. Just like her mom." He grins.

We go into the house. We sit on the sofa, Hershey between us, and chat. Apparently, Carlisle has been talking to the whole family about his love life. And everyone has tried to approach Esme, but she just won't tell what she's up to.

"And it's strange, you know?" says Jasper. "Ever since I can remember it's been Carlisle and Esme, Esme and Carlisle, both of them one. And it's kind of... I don't know, foolish, that he's acting so insecure."

"I agree with you. But I think it's a family thing." He looks blankly at me. "Because... what was that little show with Jacob this morning?"

"Ah, that. As I told you before, the boy needs a lection."

"Which is..."

"Not to mess up with older women that have an owner."

"Older women?" I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Well, you know, older for him, but-"

"And I have an owner?"

"Yes, you do. You're mine, only mine." He grasps my hand firmly. "And I won't let any silly boy try to steal you away. I won't even let him look at you."

"Jazz..." I start. "Don't you think you're kind of... exaggerating? Sweetheart, you're unnecessarily jealous. Jacob is just a friend. Someone I really like, and a great company, but no more than a friend. Don't put that face, sir! You have to understand that the fact than I have male workmates doesn't mean that I'll run away with them."

"For you, Jacob is a friend," he says. "But for him, you are-"

"That is something only he knows. And if he has any doubts about the nature of our relationship I'll clear them out in due time. Jasper, look at me. I love you, do you understand? You are the only man I have ever loved, and no matter what happens, we will stay together. I will always be your chiquita." I give him one of those long, honey-filled kissed we invented. "Better now?" I ask.

"Yes. But I still think it would be better if you evade any contact with him and..."

Argh! Men.

***

When the night falls, Jasper is much calmer. Though I know there is no reason for him to be jealous, frankly I'm a little worried. He's always been rather intense with his emotions, and a bit pigheaded, any misunderstanding could have awful consequences. To prevent any of them, I think it's better if I try not to spend so much time with Jacob. There truly is no other thing but friendship between us, but still... better not risk it.

As soon as I feed Hershey and put her to sleep I go lay beside Jasper. Now more than ever it's important to prove him I'm a good wife who will always love him and be faithful. He's in a good mood, and smiles at me.

"Come here, love," he says, opening his arms for me. I curl up against his chest and he kisses my head. After a while he says

"I'm sorry about what happened this afternoon. I know I should trust you, but... well, you're too pretty, too beautiful, and I've felt it in other men before, the attraction, the desire they have for you. Jacob is one of those cases. I know you have nothing to do with it, but I still think I need to be overprotective. I know you don't like it, and that's why I apologize. I'm sorry. I'll try to behave from now on."

"There is nothing to regret, Jasper. As long as you understand there's no danger everything will be fine."

We start kissing and then we can't stop. He rolls till he's on top of me and continues his trail of kisses to my neck. _Good_, I think. _This will help him relax._ I encourage him to continue and we're both enjoying the hell out of this when the phone rings.

"Don't answer," he says. "No decent person phones this late."

The phone keeps ringing.

"Jazz, maybe is something important, something urgent."

"Oh, c'mon, we both work for the business world and we know there can't be anything urgent. At least, not more urgent than _this_." He kisses me with more enthusiasm.

But the phone keeps ringing.

"Darling, they insist so much, it must be an emergency. _And_ the sound's annoying."

Finally, I pick up the phone.

"Yes?"

"Alice, sorry to awake you. It's me, Jacob." As soon as Jasper hears his name, he snorts and rolls till he's on his back again. Damn.

"It's ok, Jake, I wasn't sleeping. What do you need?"

"Well, need need, nothing. But, you see, I wanted to ask if you would like to... to go out with me. Only as friends, of course."

_Out of the question !_ Jasper mouths at me.

_Why !? No!_ I mouth back, scowling at him.

"So... what do you say?" asks Jacob, unaware of our little argument.

"Jake, um... I... er... Sure, I'd love to. When?"

"Well, James told me an hour ago that I must fly to Brazil for this financial summit, but I'll be back in a week. What about dinner then?"

"Sounds great."

"_To the hell with him!_" growls Jazz.

"Oh, Alice, is your husband there?"

"Yes, Jacob. It's almost eleven o'clock."

"Ups, I hadn't noticed. Sorry to interrupt you. I'll call you later."

"Ok. Good luck in Brazil."

"Thanks. Bye!"

As soon as he hangs up I turn to Jasper.

"What on Earth was that !?"

"It's dinner now, Alice, but then what? Marriage? Running away? An affair?"

"You know fully well that I would never do that to you, to our family.

"Yes, but he-"

"He nothing! This is my decision. Listen, Jazz, this is crazy, this is sick. Think about what you're saying and we'll talk tomorrow."

I give my back to him and for the first time ever, I go to sleep angry with my Jasper.

And now, once more, your help. I won't accept any answers for the Twilight Essay anymore, but I do want to follow an idea I saw in someone else's Fan Fics:

**I want you to help me become a better writer. Therefore I would like you guys to challenge me. Make me the writer of your dreams. I will write anything your mind comes up with. I will write out any fantasy or idea you come up with. The challenge is for me to make ANYTHING work.**

**Rules**

**All Characters MUST be from either Twilight or Harry Potter. I accept any couple, not only A&J**

**You control the plot line. Don't write me the story but tell me what you expect.**

**A paragraph should be more than enough to get me started. Tell me where you want detail and what you don't care so much about hearing. These are stories I am doing for the awesome people who read my stories! I want these to be exactly what you want.**

**Go wild with it.**

**Submitting Ideas:**

**If you want to help with this challenge send an e-mail to sxyvamp_ or a PrivateMessage with the following info…**

**Subject: Challenge**

**Your Name or Screen Name: (or both)**

**Plot Line:**

**Challenge:**

**LOVE YOU !!!**


	20. Bella Notte

**My awesome readers, let me explain my delay: I've had a hectic week with last-minute rehearsals for my school play, in which I'm dancing. Today night is the premiere !!! And so it's been painfully impossible for me to write before now, my Computing class. S-o-r-r-y. But here's the chapter.**

**Bella Notte**

_He home wrecker!_

Unbelievable, what that boy does. And the way he does it! And, worst of all, how she believes him.

When Alice told me that Jacob would have to stay in Brazil longer than expected, I almost jumped in joy. I thought I'd have more time to make her see what his true intentions are. Unfortunately, women are not that easy. Two days ago that Unspeakable rang and said he had just arrived and what about he took MY WIFE for dinner tonight. And despite everything I told her while the Unspeakable was gone she didn't say "_Thanks, Jacob, but I've realized you're trying to break my marriage and destroy what Jasper and I have been building together for years. I don't want to see you ever again_," noooo, she said "_Of course! I can't wait to see you, Jake. You know what? Your being away for so long made me see how I really enjoy your company."_ And so the Unspeakable picked her up at eight. The moron.

But do you know what really gets me? That he can take her to dinner. And I can't. For, what could we do with her eating and me only sitting there, looking like the idiot I am? I did try to take her to a couple of nice restaurants, but she refused, saying "let's do something we can both enjoy." And so all our dates were walks around the park, or going to the cinema, or something like that. But Jacob is human, like my Alice, and so they can do things she will never be able to do with me. And I hate that, I hate the intimacy they will share, and that he'll provide her something I will never have.

"What are we going to do?" I ask my daughter, my only company while her mom is having fun with the Unspeakable. She doesn't look very pleased, either. The house feels so empty without our woman... "We'll get her back, Carelle," I say, using her barely remembered middle name. "I swear we will."

She looks at me, with a wisdom in her eyes that doesn't go with her age. It's always been like that, you know? She's always seemed different, she has a magical aura. I guess it's the combination of Alice and I, human and vampire, a rare if not unique combination. We have a comunication with our daughter that reaches far beyond any other parents-child relationship. And that's why now I seek support in this little teddy bear, whose star-like eyes look at me in understanding.

"Jacob," I say, and the baby pouts. God, I love this kid. I take her from her cot and cradle her in my arms. "They must be in some elegant restaurant," I tell her, pacing around the room, "talking that weird journalist language only they understand, sharing a plate of spaghetti like in _Lady and the Tramp_, and when –if- he brings her back home, she'll spend hour after hour talking about what a good time they had, and oh, they must definitely do that again."

Too much for my poor baby –she starts to cry. I try all sorts of things to calm her down, but nothing works. I prepare her a bottle of A-negative, which is her favourite, and finally her sobs stop. I can stand it all, except seeing my baby girl suffer. And _he_ is making her suffer. Making _us_. The Unspeakable is destroying my little family. But I will fight back. And I will win.

***

Alice's POV

"And so I told her: 'Do you know what you call a blonde with a brain? A golden retriever.'"

"No way!" I exclaim. "And what did she do?"

"Nothing. She'd forgotten it after two minutes."

"She did?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at him.

"Of course. It was easy. Do you know how to erase a blonde's memory?" I shake my head. "Just blow in her ear."

I can't help it- I laugh out loud. Jacob has a way of making the silliest thing sound amazing. I don't regret accepting his invitation. I'm having a wonderful time. Even if that wasn't the best thing to do to his blonde classmate, Lilian.

"That one was awesome, Jake. I'll remember it for my sister-in-law. She's a stunning blonde, you know? I must admit, sometimes I feel a tiny bit envi-"

I'm interrupted by the waiter, who brings the bowl of spaghetti Jacob and I decided to share.

For some strange reason I've been very hungry these days, and I had a particular need of spaghetti. That's why I suggested an Italian restaurant. But other than that everything has been great. It's wonderful to be able to talk about my projects for the magazine, the photos, the articles, the interviews, and that the other person actually understands me. It's really refreshing to go out with Jake, he's my best human friend.

"Envious? Of your sister-in-law?" he says.

"Sometimes," I admit. "She's too pretty. You see, she's Jasper's biological twin, so she's he turned into a girl. And that's hard to look at." My husband is awfully handsome, but I don't mind it in him, of course. They're brother and sister, so there's no competence. But, still..

"And... do you have any family other that your husband, your daughter... ?" he asks.

"No. My parents died when I was a little child and it was an aunt who raised me. But she died short before I met Jasper. My only family is his. What about you?"

"I've still got my dad, an older sister, Leah, and a younger brother, Seth. My mom died when Seth was born."

"Sorry to hear that. But you've managed quite well, I mean, you have a career, a job... And I'm sure you have a great dad, because if your siblings are as charming as you, well..."

"Thanks," he says, and looks down, smiling shyly. But I do mean it. Jacob has a clean heart, a kind, pleasant soul, and a naturally enchanting personality. Plus, he has good looks. He's the brother I would have loved to have.

We start eating and for a while neither of us says anything. Then I'm suddenly hit by the fact that this is the first time I have special dinner with a man. With Jasper this has never been possible, and will never be; before him I was too young and never went further than the simple ice-cream with the crush in turn. After him I have no eyes for anyone else, it's always been him and it will be him for the rest of my life. Except now. With Jacob.

Our friendship is easy, nothing but Nature's course. What was meant to be. Simple, refreshing. Innocent, and, most important, human. I mean, it's not that I'm complaining about my cold ones, I love them more than anything else, but I had forgotten what it is like, to hold a warm hand, to share food, to walk together freely in the sunlight, what it is to be human. And thanks to Jacob I remember.

The spaghetti is condimented with the easiest, best of conversations. And right before dessert he offers me his hand and says,

"Wanna dance?"

For I've forgotten to mention, but the restaurant has a dance floor and a band of musicians. And right now the music is very inviting, and I can't refuse his invitation. He proves to be an exceptionally good dancer, graceful despite his size –I'd dare say, even taller than Jazz-, gentle and delicate. The song is perhaps too slow for what I want him to see, what I _need _him to see, that there can't be anything more than friendship between us, but the feeling of his warm skin brushing mine –something I didn't remember what it felt like- is so good I forget everything else. Somewhere in a corner of my mind I know I shouldn't be doing this, it's the wrong thing for everyone, but before I realize, the music has silenced that little corner.

***

Jasper's POV

It's almost twelve, and Alice isn't back yet.

I'm starting to worry. I've texted and called her like a thousand times and I haven't got any answer. That's very unlike my girl, she's answered every single message I've ever sent her, I've heard her voice every time I've called her. But tonight, she has vanished.

Just to think what might be going on between my wife and the Unspeakable makes my venom boil. I mean, I'd never think _she _could do something bad, but _he_... he's capable of anything. Argh! I text her again. What the hell is going on?

Finally, almost half an hour later, I hear a car drawing near. It's them. I recognize her blueberry-and-jasmine perfume, and his dog stink, they are about half a mile away. The car comes closer. I pick Hershey up and go downstairs; I want _him_ to see there's a family here, a strong, happy family he won't be able to destroy. I open the door in the very moment the car parks in front of the house. The driver's door opens, and the Unspeakable appears, laughing, he walks towards the copilot door and opens it. She comes out of the red Nissan, laughing, too, with her beautiful, childish voice. My Alice is home.

He walks with her. And when she sees me she looks almost surprised to find me here.

"Hi, Jazz," she says in her chirpy voice.

"Hi, love. Hello, Jacob," I say, trying my hardest to act civilized. I take her hand and pull her to me, swiflty enough that she doesn't get hurt or notice it, but clearly enough for the Unspeakable to see that this woman is taken.

"I had so much fun!" she exclaims. "We should definitely do this more often, it was awesome." She's happier than usual. Is it because she enjoyed herself, or because that horrible beast got her almost drunk, or... grr! I wish Edward was here. Or that I were Edward. Whichever.

Anything to help feeling all the nasy stuff in Jacob's emotions. I'd break his face for feeling that way about a married woman, but I can't show him I notice. And I can't blame him, either. She looks more beautiful than ever.

Alice cooes the baby in my arms, our baby, and turns to Jacob,

"Thanks, Jake. Really. I had a lovely evening."

"Anytime," he answers. Anytime he wants to get his neck broken, of course

"'Bye, Jacob." I wave him away. But before he leaves I make sure he sees the huge, loving kiss I give to my wife.

We walk into the house. And then everything seems right –her emotional channel is the same as always, relaxed and tender, full of love and beauty. Everything right until...

"Jazz, wait," she mumbles softly. In a second she's gone just as pale as me, she's frozen in th centre of the living room, and the faint echo of a strong dizziness comes from her to me. I catch her right before she collapses and sit her on the couch.

"Al, baby, what's going on? What do you feel?"

She tries to answer, but she's now too weak to speak. A few seconds later a bit of colour returns to her cheeks and she says,

"I'm sorry, Jasper. I'm ok, don't worry, it was a simple head rush. Must have been the wine. I'm better now. Let's go upstairs."

When we get to our room she's just as healthy as always. But something catches her attention.

"What's today's date?" she asks, looking at the calendar.

"The seventeenth." I answer.

She counts softly to herself a couple of times, then mumbles, "Oh my God."

"What's going on?" I ask, concerned now.

"Jasper," she says slowly. "You won't believe what I think is going on."


	21. News

My awesome, always beautiful people, how are you doing? Today I hand in the Twilight essay –been working since November-, as soon as I get the translation checked –the original is in Spanish- I'll post it here. I'll always be in debt with those who helped me. You rock. In case I haven't told you, the prequel of this story is available here, under the name of "A bouquet of roses". Right now I only have one chapter, but I hope to add more soon. Enjoy this ! P.S. : any of you USA guys spring breaking in Mexico?

News

Ooh.

So this is where the hunger and tiredness of these days come from. How could I not have realized before? Silly me.

"Congratulations, Alice," says Dr. House, my obstetrician. "You're pregnant."

"Yes!" I can't help saying, and clap my hands. He only smiles and shakes his head. "Oh, yes, yes, yes!" Then I remember something, fall silent, and blush. That was exactly what I kept saying the night I conceived this baby.

For I'm pretty sure it was that night, about a month ago. Quite funny, actually, because both Jasper and I were drunk. The thing is, we've been experimenting with keeping blood in the fridge so he doesn't have to go away hunting when he gets thirsty and we can have more time to ourselves. That time we sat down, he with a jar of blood, me with a bottle of red wine, and we drank to our happiness. But... since it's not our usual behavior, we didn't notice when we'd drunk too much. Next thing we knew, we were kissing like possesed. As usual, we didn't make it to the bedroom and ended up on the table we'd been sitting at.

But I don't regret it, of course. Now less than ever. I'm going to have another baby! Yay!

"Ok, Alice, just to have your medical record," continues Dr. House, bursting my bubble, "you're more or less four weeks pregnant. Have you had any alcohol during this time?"

"Er, yes. A little. Well, I didn't know I was pregnant!" I add, seeing his expression.

"Smoking, contact with any acid, toxic substances..."

"Hey, I'm not that decadent."

"Ok, ok, just checking. Extreme physical activity?"

"Forcefully, doctor, otherwise there would be no baby at all."

"You know what I mean," he says, trying to hide a smile.

"I do. And no, I'm not in drugs, nor is my husband, and we haven't climbed the Everest, dived in the Pacific, nor taken karate lessons."

Dr. House seems to take this for a logical, sane answer.

"You have another child, right?"

"Yes, a five-month-old daughter."

"A five-month-old? It was too early to get pregnant."

"We didn't plan it. And, after all, there are some women who get pregnant after two months."

"Whatever. I'd still like you to be more careful than you were during your first pregnancy. You already know how this goes, so in theory there should be no problems. I'll see you in a month."

I leave, happier than ever now that I know there's a little baby inside me again. I was so happy when I was expecting Hershey that frankly I couldn't wait to repeat the experience. Thinking of an original way to tell Jasper I go to a baby shop and get something for my daughter, who I pick up a few moments later from Emmett and Rosalie's.

"We didn't expect you so early," says Rose, and I hear the softest hint of disappointment in her voice. "Is everything ok?"

"Yes, don't worry. Actually, more than ok." I show her what I've bought.

"Oh my God !! That means you're... _pregnant _!?" she yells, and I nod.

"Oh dear, oh my, oh... congratulations !!" she hugs me tightly. God, she's almost more excited than I am, she's hysterical.

"You'll let me babysit him, or her, right? And you'll let me go shopping with you from now on, and... wow, Esme will be so happy when you tell her and... I'm so happy for you."

"Did I hear what I thought I heard?" Emmett's voice booms from upstairs as he comes to the living room. "Are we having another spoiled little brat to interrupt our sleep every single night?"

"You heard exactly that. Kiss your sweet dreams goodbye." I answer.

"WHOO HOO!!" he runs, takes me in his arms, and spins me around. "Congrats, baby sister."

They are both so happy, it's just as if it was Rose the pregnant one, as if it was their own child coming. Sometimes I feel so sad for them, both Jazz and I know that Rosalie and Emmett, and Esme and Carlisle live their lost parenthood through ours. I let them get all the excited they want, it's kind of their right. Then I take my child and go to Jasper's office.

The building, tall and proud, stands on the most important avenue of the city, it is in itself one of the most important places here. Right in the lobby there's a wall with photos of the most dedicated members of the company through its history. If you look carefully you'll be able to see Jasper's handsome, manly face repeated a few times, once every two decades or so. Though I've seen this wall endless times, I can't help smiling when I think of how no one has ever noticed that little detail.

"That's Daddy," I tell Hershey quietly. "And that's Daddy again. And here again." She smiles understandingly. Smart kid. I kiss her little head and take the lift.

Jasper's secretary is an old, ugly, insignificant woman. Ha, I hired her. Really, I did. Or did you think I would risk my man with some sexy, young, seductive girl? Noooo. She knows me well, and so she lets me in his office without even announcing me. Us. I press my baby's chest to mine, for that's the most important part today, and he can't see it yet.

"Alice," he says, beaming from behind a pile of paper work. "Zuzú!" he exclaims, calling Hershey by a new nickname –he changes it every three days, more or less-. He stands up and kisses us both. "And what do I owe the pleasure of the visit of such elegant, beautiful, amazing girls?"

"We stopped by to say hi," I say.

"You couldn't have made me happier."

_We can't ? Just wait and see, my darling._

After a few minutes of small talk he asks,

"Baby, did you go to the doctor?"

"The doctor?" I ask, innocently.

"You haven't been feeling well, honey. That night, with the dizziness... I got really worried."

I smile at him. "You're an angel. But yes, yes, I did go to the doctor."

"And?"

"And..." Finally, I turn Hershey around so he can see her front. Painted with pink glitter on a soft pink background stand the words: _Big Sister # 1_.

"That... that..." he mumbles. "Sister..."

And just like the day I told him about our first child, just like our brother did this morning, he takes me -us- in his arms, spinning me -us- around.

"I'm gonna be father !!! Again !! Father !!" He puts me down and kisses me long and sweetly. "Thank you, my love. Thank you so much," he whispers.

And then he opens the door, takes us with him, and shouts,

"Everyone ! I'm going to be father ! Again! I'm going to be father !"

As the whole office dedicates us a round of applause and cheers I laugh and he puts an arm around my shoulders. Hershey is laughing, too. We're a happy family.

And then Jasper says in an undertone "_Please_ let me be there when you tell Jacob."


	22. Love

**Hi there! I've already answered this question, but it's still coming up, so once more: Alice is the only human in the story, everyone else is a vampire and the family structure is the same we know (brothers, sisters, parents, couples, everything the same). Clear now? Ok, then, have you seen **_**Remember Me**_**? God, I hadn't cried like that in five years, I was a show during the whole movie, a complete crying attack. Now I'm more Robsessed than ever. But you really, really have to see that movie, is wonderful. Wow...**

Love

Needless to say, the whole family was upside down with joy at the news of my pregnancy. Even Bella, who had just joined the family as Edward's official girlfriend, and who was able to have her own kids, was extremely happy when I told her.

"I so love children. I can hardly wait till Edward and I have our own-" she stopped abruptly, obviously thinking I was the typical sister, who runs to her brother to tell him he should stay away from the crazy girl who after a month is already planning a family.

"Of course," I said. "I'm sure nothing would make Edward happier than having children with you."

"Do you think so?" she said, the spark of hope in her eyes.

"Sure. These men are such family guys. My Jasper was simply delighted."

"And if Edward stops loving me?"

"That will never, ever happen. They are like wolves, they stay with the same woman through their lives. He has already found the woman he wants to spend eternity with, and that's you."

"I really hope so. Wow, eternity... sounds so... big. I don't know if I'll be able to go through it."

She knew, then. "I'm sure you will. I only hope Edward is easier to convince than Jasper. My husband is so set in not changing me."

"But, well, you've got your girl, and you're pregnant, and..."

"Oh, yeah, I don't mean I'm not the happiest woman, with Jazz, our daughter, and this new baby, but I'm definitely getting him to transform me as soon as I give birth."

"I'll change you the same day I let you run away with Jacob. You know when that is," said Jasper, walking into the living room with a smile.

"Never?"

"How clever of you."

I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed. He came closer and kissed me.

"Ready?" he asks. Oh, I forgot, he's driving me to work. _Again. _Grr.

Those days Jasper was even more overprotective, unbelievable as it might sound. He almost carried me all the way to the car, but I managed to convince him that I was pregnant, not handicapped. He drove –"you have no idea how risky is for women in your condition to drive, love"- and walked me to the building. He was about to leave, but then said,

"I go with you. All the way to your office."

"Jazz, the lift won't explode during the thirty seconds I'll use it."

"Who knows. But no, I'll go because I know Jacob will be there."

"Obviously he will. And what's your plan, stay as my bodyguard all day long?"

"It's not a bad idea, hon," he said, and, looking at my exasperated face he laughed and added, "Of course that's not the plan, darling. But you promised you would let me be there when you tell him about our kid."

"Oh. That." And I laughed, too. "Sure, love, come with me."

And inside the lift he seemed to forget I was pregnant/handicapped when he kissed me as intensely as he could, while squeezing me really tight. Ah. Men.

Jasper's POV

Sorry about that, couldn't help it. It's only that pregnancy seemed to make my wife, well, you know... sexier... hotter. And that's why I had to shield her from the beastly Unspeakable. Anyway, when the lift doors opened we had a decent appearance. Ha.

That was a nice place. I'd been there only a few times, but I liked to know she worked here, with a peaceful atmosphere. She walked before me, pulling my hand and moving like she owned the place. Which she could, by the way, but so far she has forbidden me to buy the magazine, though I've tried.

"Alice," said a soft, quiet voice.

"Jacob," answered she, with the broadest of smiles.

"Nice to see you. You look great." It was so obvious my girl had made his entire day, his heart accelerated, and I knew what he felt for her was not only a crush. "And what do we owe the honour of such visit?" he added loooking at me. We were both thinking the same, _Why don't you kill yourself?_

"We came to deliver some news," she explained. I wrap my arms around her and placed my hands on her lower belly. The movement didn't go unnoticed to the boy, and I perceived how his stomach jumped with the suspicion.

"We're having a baby!" she practically sang. While the office cheered and congratulations erupted everywhere I looked at Jacob. His smile was frozen. He tried to pretend happiness, but his misery was visible. Wow, he really was in love with her. I almost felt pity for him. Almost.

"Congratulate me," said Alice, and hugged him. I didn't stop her, because I knew that the hug was meant to comfort him, to soothe him. And yes, she held him just like she holds Hershey when she cries. Poor boy. Then another voice appeared.

"Alice!" I heard from inside an office. I concentrated on the voice and noticed its owner was particularly pleased to see her. Well, Whoever You Are, she's _taken_.

"James, hi," answered Alice. "My boss, so relax," she added in an undertone.

A tall man, in his mid thirties, came out of the office. He was handsome, with the elegance of age, and in his face I saw that he was used to command. His emotions were also focused in control, but I must admit he was genuinely pleased to see my wife.

"Did I really hear those happy news? Are you pregnant?"

"Yes, James, I am," smiled she.

"How wonderful!" he exclaimed and held her, too. "Congratulations."

They even organized a toast, it was evident she was by far the favourite in that place. And she looked so plainly beautiful, radiant, with the same charm Hershey gave her. Maternity is what she was born for, it's in her blood, in her nature. You won't find a happier woman than my Alice expecting a baby. She was all smiles and beauty, my tiny porcelain doll alive with love. Meanwhile I looked at Jacob, his emotions a mixture of joy for Alice and misery and pain for himself. There was even a small portion of hatred for me, though it was now overpowered by his own sadness. Then he did make me feel pity.

But then, as we left, our eyes met and the dare was clear in his gaze. While for me the new baby had made it clear that Alice was mine, in his face I saw that the war had only begun.

Alice's POV

Three weeks later, I still felt bad about Jacob. Don't think I didn't notice the pain the news gave him. But, what was I supposed to do? I'd never given him any signs to encourage anything more than friendship. I liked him, of course I did, but only as a friend. He was nice, well-educated, very handsome, but I can only love one man, my husband. I would have been more than glad to be friends with Jacob, yet if it hurt him that much, I though it was better to separate for good.

That's why I arranged for us to meet in that park, somewhere quiet where nobody heard what I was about to tell him. I didn't tell Jasper about it, I didn't want to have my inseparable bodyguard or his alikes –he once had Emmett drive me to work. Not nice, especially for my workmates.- While I waited I plan a few things for my child. I was only two months pregnant, but Rose, Esme, and I were already designing the nursery, some clothes, we'd made a list of tentative names.... you get the idea.

I was swimming in my happy world when I saw Jacob in the distance.

"Jake."

"Al," he smiled and pecked me on the cheek.

"I'm glad you came. Up for a walk?"

"Sure. Here, take my arm."

I did and we walked in silence for a while. But each step made me more insecure, so I stopped and turned to face him.

"Jacob, you surely wonder why we're meeting here. This... this is difficult, but it will be better this way."

"What do you mean?" he asked, but I felt he already knew.

"Jake, I... I've noticed you-, well, we're friends, aren't we? And I love you as a friend, even a brother. But I can see that-that you, well, y-you feel something...else."

"Something else." He repeated dryly. I nodded. "Something else..."

We looked at each other for slow, eternal seconds. And suddenly, in a flash, he had me pinned against a log. His eyes were different, they spat flames.

"You're right. As always. Yes, there's something else. I love you. It's not a crush, not a simple falling in love. I completely adore you, can't live without you. I love you, Alice."

I was speechless. I didn't know how to say this without breaking his heart, but I didn't love him, not the same way he did.

"Jacob, I-"

"No, not a word. I know what you'll say, that you love your husband, that there can only be friendship between us, bla, bla, bla. I don't need to hear that. I'd leave forever if you wanted, but I know you don't. Though you don't love me you need me, you'd miss me if I disappeared. And as much as you need _me_, you need _this_."

He took me by the hair, securing my whole head, and kissed me fully on the mouth. At first I was too stunned to move, but then I twitched and fought for freedom. He was really strong, though, stronger that I'd expected, and he had absolute control over me.

He put my head against the tree and placed both his hands on my waist, pressing my hips to his. Between the log and his body I had no room to move. On my back I felt the roughness of the tree, on my chest the warmth of his own skin pressed tight against mine, and on my mouth the fierce caress of his lips, the softness of his tongue. He pulled me to him and ran his hands over my back and the sides of my torso, brushing the tips of his thumbs against my breasts. I took advantage of that little space to keep fighting, sinking my nails on his shoulders, twisting, shaking, but he kept invincible. And then-

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY WIFE, YOU- !!!" in a fraction of second I was free, and a wave of cold air hit me. Jasper had Jacob on the grass, hands on his back, dominated as he had dominated me. My husband's eyes shone with murderous intentions.

"Jazz, Jazz, please, darling, let him go."

"You protect him !?"

"No honey, I protect _you_. I don't want you to do something you regret later."

"I will never regret killing this scum."

"Jasper, sweetheart, I beg you," I knelt beside him and stroked his hair, trying to calm him down. He didn't release his grip on Jacob, so I whispered in his ear, "Please, baby, you know I love only you. I can't love anyone but you. You're the one, only you. It's you who I adore, who I worship, who I obey, who I'll be with no matter what. You are the father of the baby I'm expecting. It's your child in here, darling. Do you need any other proof of my love?"

At the mention of our baby he came to his senses. He stood up and held me. But then Jacob was on his feet, too, and they stared at each other. Jasper pushed me back and shielded me with his arm

"You think yourself a man, don't you," barked Jacob, "only because you've made her those kids. But you're not. You need way more than that. Alice, no one can love you more that I do. He doesn't love you, he married you to have clean shirts in the morning and someone to fuck at night, but-"

"Jacob, enough!" I shouted, furious now. "You can do whatever you want with me, but don't you dare touching my family. My husband, my children, they are sacred. Do not even think of them. Now go. Forever."

"But-"

"But nothing! Can't you understand? I don't love you! I don't love you! Go. Away. Now. Go or I won't stop Jasper's attempts to kill you."

He gave us one more wounded look, turned around and walked away. I buried my head in Jasper's chest and sobbed quietly.

"I'm so sorry," I cried.

"Don't, darling, don't. This wasn't your fault."

"You were right, all this time you were right. I love you."

"I love you, too. Always."

Jasper kept stroking my hair and whispering words of comfort, but I couldn't stop crying. Everything was over.

**Hope you liked it. And, don't forget it, you can find me in Facebook under the name Alice Michelle BrandonWhitlock, or with my e-mail, sxyvamp_. And for you Twitter people, I **_**think**_** I'm RoviCullen, but I'm not sure, so please use the above mentioned e-mail adress. See ya!**


	23. Whims

**Hello, my dear ones. Guess who got an A+ with her Twilight essay? Guess who? Guess who? Moi !!! Oh yeah, life's good. The next chapter won't be a "real" chapter, but said essay, which you helped me to write. Read it and give me your opinion. But right now I want you to enjoy this "real" chapter, ok? See ya!**

Whims

We were both calmer now, safely at home, and lying on the bed -fully clothed and in peacful rest, don't get me wrong-. Though I'd cried all the way home and Jasper had been too furious for his attempts to soothe me to succeed, as soon as I saw myself back in my little nest I knew I couldn't have asked for more, having my daughter sleeping safely in her cot, my husband and I cuddling together, and a new, beautiful baby inside my womb. I ran my fingers through Jasper's hair and thanked Life for him. Turned out he had followed me to the park, because he had somehow found out about my appointment with Jacob. At first he only listened to what we said, but then he saw Jacob kissing me. For a moment shock was too strong to allow him to move, but then he turned into the fierce man I saw.

To tell the truth I was pleased at how he reacted, I was glad he defended me. This is the kind of man I've always wanted, someone who can protect me, help me, become a safe harbor for me and my children, someone I can always find support in. He looked tenderly at me, and then took my hand and kissed it.

"Thanks," he said softly.

"Why?"

"For staying with me. For being so loyal, so faithful. You've had so many chances to go away, we both know Jacob isn't the first man who courts you. Yet you've chosen me." He said the last words with a hint of wonder, of amazement.

"Of course I have. And I will always choose you above everyone else. We'll be together till Death do us to part. And since that can never happen with you... I guess you'll have to tolerate me forever."

"What a torture," he whispered, and pulled me closer to kiss me. Then he ran a hand over my tummy. "How do you feel?"

"Ah... right now, great, but it does have its moments."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes. I want you to be pregnant for me."

He laughed. "Maybe soon, baby. At the rate science and magic are progressing, I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years it's time for us guys to bear the kids."

"Ha ha. You'd break."

"You sure?" he asked, and began tickling me. "We shall see, young lady."

We started playing, tickling each other and laughing. When I realized, he was kissing my neck. I knew what he wanted, and I wanted it, too, but in that moment I had something slightly more important.

"Darling?"

"Mh-hm?"

"Your child is hungry."

"My child... or you?"

"Both."

"What do you want?" he asked, now looking at me.

"Esquites."

"Again?"

I nodded.

"Very well, then. I'll be back." He kissed me and dissappeared downstairs.

Jasper's POV

This was so like when she was carrying Hershey. Sending me to get them food, having to satisfy her –their- cravings, wishes, whims. But, as I said before, it made me extremely happy to pamper them. I prepared their food, which consisted in corn grains cooked with herbs and then mixed with grated cheese, mayonnaise, salt, and chili powder. The combination seemed repulsive to me, but my wife insisted that it was the most delicious thing ever, and, well, you know, her word is law.

As soon as I had a big portion ready I went back upstairs. Alice had picked Hershey from her cot, and was cradling her tenderly in her arms. She was deep in thought, her eyes far, far away. When she saw me she smiled, but I could sense worry inside her.

"What is is, sweetheart?" I asked.

"I'll tell you later. First feed me."

I sat facing her, took a spoonful, and approached it to her mouth.

"Hey, I'm not a baby," she complained.

"You asked me to feed you. And you said it was _my child_ who was hungry, so in fact I'm feeding _it_. And babies need help to eat, you know."

Alice pouted and then laughed. I blew on the corn, because when it's freshly made it's awfully hot. She accepted my treating her like a kid without further complaints until she emptied the plate.

"Thanks," she said. She looked down and stroked her belly. "Thanks, Daddy," she added in a high-pitched voice.

I kissed them both and then looked directly at her eyes. "Now tell me. What's troubling you?"

She sighed. "Well, I've been thinking and I decided that maybe we should go to Italy. Visit the Volturi."

"_What_ !?" I exclaimed. "Do you have an idea of how dangerous that would be for you? I mean, they're the _Volturi_, which means, _voltures_. They are always looking for a new prey. I won't expose any of you."

"But, Jazz, listen. I know you all hid me when they arrived to the wedding. That made them more curious than if you had introduced me. When Hershey was born, you remember, they came here. They saw us frightened, they know about the wedding incident, too. And then Aro returned. But if we go to them, we'd be proving we're not scared of them, we'd satisfy their curiosity before it grows stronger. Then they would leave us alone."

I could see her point, and it was good, but nothing would make me risk my family like that.

"You don't want to admit it, but I'm right," she said. "I know you'll end up agreeing, love. Think about it," and she kissed me.

She was right. She always was. Within a week I'd given up and began to prepare our trip to Volterra.

**Let me make this clear, people: if I don't get at least seven reviews I won't post my essay. So review. I know you want to read the essay. Yes you do. ****R-E-V-I-E-W !!!!**

**The esquites do exist. I know they sound gross, but they are soooo delicious.... mmhhh...**


	24. The Call Of Blood

**Hellooooo !!!! So, here's the essay. But, just like my James once said, "before we begin...", a few little facts about it:**

**-I began writing it in November and finished it on March 10th. I handed it in on 18th and got my A+ on April 13th.**

**-A couple of weeks after I started I thought about asking people how they felt about Twilight. I asked you guys, and people at school, and even at the cinema, when I went to see New Moon (don't do that, please. They only look at you like the crazy person you are and never answer anything. Internet is safer).**

**-The original is in Spanish. I wrote the version in English almost at the same time and gave it to my English teacher a month ago to have it checked before posting it. The charming man hasn't given it back, so I can't promise you grammar perfection. I suck at grammar in my three languages (Spanish, English, and German). Sorry.**

**-One month before the deadline I went crazy, almost to the point of tears. No matter how hard I tried I just wasn't able to say what I wanted. During three years I've had a good reputation as writer at school, and when my teacher told me she expected mine to be one of the best essays she guaranteed me a full-scale panic attack.**

**-My mother didn't bother to read it, but she said that it was a waste of talent.**

**-There's a wonderful answer about Alice and Jasper. Unfortunately, I misplaced the name and country of the genius who wrote that (I know, stupid me), so if any of you recognizes his or her words there, PLEASE let me know so I can give you the credit. It's really a great opinion, and I'd love to know who created it.**

**Ok, ok, no more boring stuff. Just let me know what you think of it. Enjoy !**

**The Call Of Blood**

Do you like apples? They are very popular: some people prefer them red, some yellow, some green. Red Delicious, Gala, Golden, in a pie, with chili, or caramel, each of us has a favourite.

The same happens with books. There's one for each taste: romantic novels, science fiction, detective stories, poetry... the variety is endless. And just the same way we share apples with our friends today I want to share with you one of my favourite books: _Twilight_.

You must surely be intrigued by my choice of a topic for this essay. You no doubt think that there's deeper and more trascendental stuff to talk about. But I do not mean to change the world with my words, not at all, I just wish to express myself freely. Well, and I might also intend to open the minds of those who every day tell me that _Twilight_ is not a good book.

For, in fact, what is a "good book"? The one who gets a Nobel? Perhaps. But, honestly, does the average reader's life get any better because a book wins an award, or two, or a thousand? No, it doesn't. A good book, a really Good Book, is the one that leaves its mark in your heart. The Good Book makes you laugh, cry, feel; makes you live along with it. The one that taught you something, that allowed you to identify your-self with its characters, that made the sad hours become happy, and the happy hours become glorious, that one, _that one_ is a Good Book. And I've found one.

Why?, you might ask. I must admit that despite the infinite amount of times in which I've faced this question I still haven't found words that are broad and explicit enough to communicate my answer. Until now. For, finally, I have realized that said answer takes more than a page, and that's why I now make use of this space to express my opinion. So, if you haven't grown tired of all this and you choose to keep reading, give my rea-sons a chance.

***

We are all Rosalie

If you don't know her, Rosalie is one of the sisters of the Cullen family, that stunning blonde so beautiful that it "hurts to watch". If you _do_ know her she is... Rosalie. What else can I tell you?

Stephenie Meyer places her in the first decades of last century, part of the New Yorker high society. Since always, her beauty distinguished her from the others, she was the exact image of perfection: long, golden hair, eyes of the purest blue, graceful walk and sensual figure. Like any other eighteen-year-old girl, she dreamed of luxuries and pretty dresses, she wanted to be the centre of attention wherever she went. But she also wanted something more meaningful: a family. She pictured herself with a man who loved her sincerely, surrounded by children that inherited her beauty. In her own words, "I wanted to be loved, to be adored (...) and there didn't seem to be any reason why I wouldn't get what I wanted..."1

No, there didn't seem to be any reason, except the feature that became a curse: her beauty. That same good looks that now gave her, not only admiration, but a coming marriage where every single of her wishes would be satisfied, made her victim of a brutal attack from her "perfect" fiancé and four of his friends, all drunk. They left her in the street, almost dead, and she could only be saved by being turned into a vampire.

When you read this chapter, you redescover the character. And when you read it once more, having got over the original shock, you see that who you thought was a shallow, vain girl, someone who has everything anyone could ever wish is in fact a fragile and frustrated creature, with amazing sensitiveness and tenderness. Finally, finally, you realize that that superwoman, that unbelieveable beauty, that perfect semigodess... is you. For, ¿which child hasn't played to be a mom? ¿Which girl doesn't dream of her prince? ¿Which woman doesn't get married full of illusions, of hopes? ¿Who doesn't want to see all her dreams satisfied? ¿Which of us doesn't ima-gine herself with that someone who loves her, values her, respects her, which of us doesn't yearn for the chance to cradle in her arms her own baby? Therefore, you are Rosalie and I am Rosalie. Rosalie is all of us. We are all Rosalie.

**Moral emptiness?**

Short after the release of the second movie the Vatican declared itself against it. "This is nothing but a moral emptiness with a twisted message we should all be worried about. Men and women are transformed with horrible masks" were the words of Franco Perazzolo, Pontiff Counsellor of Culture. Surely, His Eminence decided that having seen one of the movies made him a total expert, not knowing that to talk about _Twilight_ with absolute knowdlege and authority you need much, much more.

When reading the saga calmly and carefully it's impossible not to notice the immense love that exists in the star family, and I don't mean only the couple love, no, this goes much further. Everytime that a problem appears in the story, this is solved thanks to the mutual support, the unconditional love of the Cullen family. One of the most important figures is undoubtedly the mom, Esme, whose care and tenderness are proyected in such a way that she has become an image in which most of the fans have seeked a kind of support and comfort, as if in her we could find a true mother in the flesh. I have seen it, crying out "Mommy Esme!" in a desperate situation, or look in the pages for any phrase that makes us feel better. And it works.

So, with such a high concentration of love, comprehension, solidarity, honesty, friendship, is there really, really, a moral "emptiness"? What's the twisted message in a family where they all adore each other and help each other out in good and bad times? Horrible masks? Personally I think that what made Father Perazzolo hit the roof were the scenes filmed in Italy, where, if you look carefully, you can find a certain resem-blance between the red cloaks of the Mediterranean people that celebrate St. Marcus's Day and the cardinal gowns. Moreover, there are similarities between the home of the villains, heads of the world of the _cold ones_, and the Sistine Chapel. And who do we see leading the immortal vampire royalty? A deceitful being, hypocritical, cruel, and selfish, the only one –perhaps- of the horrible masks. And if the people mean cardi-nals, and the cold hall the Chapel... then who is the false leader? Seen like this, it's easy to understand His Eminence's anger.

Happy commercialism

Why when someone's work is succesful in the commercial world it is automatically considered as low-quality? Why is it believed that a "good" product is exclusively for the few genius people that can "appreciate" it, and no one tries to find the qualities that led the best-seller to be what it is? Publicist Carlos Alazraki said "this is so planned to be a hit... It's carefully schemed"2. Why the tone of disdain in his voice, why did he say it as if it were wrong? Shouldn't it make us happy that something brings as many benefits as possible: in entertainment, learning, economy, etc.? Is it really that a monetary success is guarantee of a bad product... or is it only an envious shield for those who didn't know how to make their creations a number one?

Therefore, I'm very glad that there's still people who worries about pleasing the others, even if it is with lucrative purposes. I prefer a thousand times to be able to sit down and read or see something so full of beauty, sweetness and esthetic than to suffer with the hundreth _Jaws _movie, or Freddy Krueger's thousandth one, or the umpteenth _Saw_. _Twilight_ offers many different types of perfection, physical and moral, so you can pick the one you like best and be very happy. For, who doesn't want ot be happy? Happiness is –or should be- the fundamental objective of the human being, and if it can be achieved by reading a tender, unoffensive book, great. And if there are four books, so much the better.

But I don't want you to interpret our liking –that of all the fans around the world- as the typical "oh, I like it because the guy is handsome". Agreed, physical beauty is a very, very important aspect in life, and yes, there is not only one, but more than five handsome guys –did I say handsome? I meant _gorgeous_-, and ok, it does have something to do here, but in truth this is something much deeper.

So you can get an idea I did ann exercise: a survey to some Twilight fans, with the objective of finding the true reason behind the madness. This survey contained questions such as "When / how did you start reading Twilight?", "What do you like the most / least and why?", etc. At school, at the cinema, on the Internet, I contacted as many people as possible. The answer came from all around the world, from Mexico to England, from the United States to Australia, to whom I thank how they helped me. Needless is to say, I got the most interesting results:

Winx flora-helia fan, who is 18 and lives in Surinam, says: "I like their strenght and speed, and the love the family cherises for each other." "I like that it shows true love does exist" was the answer of bubbleblub11, a thirteen-year-old originary of the United States, while from the United Kingdom comes yet another opinion, this time about one of the secondary couples –though it is essencial to admit, during these last months they have become stronger than the main characters themselves-: "I like the way Alice and Jasper react together, it's like they are one soul; through looking they communicate a more powerful love than Bella and Edward's –I kind of think Bella's love turned into an obsession after."

Therefore, the feeling all this has created in so many of us is far from being shallow or reasonless. And added to all these testimonies I'll say for the first time what I, personally, love about _Twilight_: I love not feeling alone anymore, I love knowing there's a place where I belong, I love that there's something capable of bringing out the best of me, things I didn't even know I had, I love that since all this began I write much better, I dress much better, that I've motivated myself to experiment, to play with new stuff, to accept more things. I know I speak in the name of all the Twilighters when I say that they can all come, Perazzolo, Alazraki, and the Incarnate Word itself to argue all they want, for the hapinness we've found is well worth every cent.

***

_Twilight_ was born as a dream. Almost seven years ago, on the night of June the 30th, 2003, Stephenie Meyer dreamed of a beautiful meadow, where a boy and a girl were reunited. He was a vampire, she was human. He was explaining her the conflict he faced, because even if his nature impulsed him to kill her, the truth was that he loved her crazily, more than anything in the world. This scene became chapter 13 of _Twilight, Confessions_. Two years and about fifteen letters to different editorials later, _Twilight_ was published by Little, Brown, and Company. Short after that, the fever began, or, said in Twilighter, we were bitten. It's 2010 now, and I can assure you that, for the happiness of milions of people around the world, the dream continues.

**Yes, people, there's more. Just to let you know that next Friday I'm turning 15 years old (yay!), so my mother is taking me to NY (double yay!). I'll be there for about a week, it might take a while before I post the next chapter. I'd aprecciate your comprehension.**

**Aaaand, because of the unexpected interest this seemed to awake, here you have the recipe for the esquites:**

**Ingredients:****  
****6 cups of corn grains  
½ cup of water2 ramas de epazote  
½ onion, in pieces**

**1 spoonful of salt**

**Optional:****  
****½ cupo f grated cheese**

**4 spoonfuls of mayonnaise**

**Chili powder  
More salt**

**Lemons **

**Boil water and add the corn, the onion, and the salt. ****Pour the esquites (without the water) in plates and add lemon, salt, chili, and mayonnaise. **

1 Stephenie Meyer, _Eclipse,_ New York, Little, Brown, and Company, 2007, p. 155, paragraph 3, lines 12-14.

2 Carlos Alazraki is a Mexican publicist and journalist, owner of the publicity agency Alazraki & Asociados.


	25. Visitors

**Hello! I'm back! NY was awesome, even with the Times Square terrorist attack. I've been rushing to get this chapter finished on time. Enjoy!**

**Visitors**

"Are you sure you want to go? Don't you prefer to stay and rest? We can always catch another flight, you know."

"It's ok, don't worry," she says from the bathroom. "I've already told you, it's just morning sickness. I'll be fine."

Truth is, she sounds awful. Yes, she's been sick every morning of the past two weeks, and yes, I know it's natural, but I still worry about her. I walk to the bathroom and open the door.

"Is there anything I-"

"Go away!" she cries. "I don't want you to see me like this. I'm disgusting."

"Baby, you can never be disgusting to me."

"Out, I said! Out! Out!"

I close the door. I turn to Hershey, ready and dressed to travel. After almost a month of my trying to disuade Alice, we're finally going to Volterra. I managed to convince my wife to wait until she was at least three-months-pregnant, just for safety, but now there's nothing I can do. I sigh and Hershey smiles sympathetically. It's early December, we'll be back from Italy just in time for Alice's birthday and Christmas. I hope so.

Finally I hear the sound of teeth brushing and water. Alice comes out of the bathroom.

"I'm sorry about that, love. But I just couldn't let you see me in that condition."

"You'll always be beautiful. How do you feel?"

"Much better. Starving, actually."

"Then I'll get you something to eat while you get dressed, ok?"

"Great."

On my way downstairs I hear her running to the bathroom again. You know, sometimes I'm so grateful men can't get pregnant. Just like she once said, we'd break. Honestly, I have no idea how she copes with all of it –the nausea, the hunger, the dizziness... And twice. Wow.

I cook quickly and hurry back to my Alice. I find her on the bed, crying.

"What is it, darling?" I ask, panicking.

"M-my jeans don't-don't fit anymore!" she wails. "I'm getting f-fat!"

"But honey, you're not fat, you're pregnant," I say, sitting next to her. "There's a baby growing inside you, it's normal. Remember Hershey? It was the same with her. And look at her now, a gorgeous, perfect baby girl. Isn't it worth the weight?" I put my arms around her.

"You're right, Jazz. I'm awfully hormonal, that's it."

She kisses me and gets up. She eats hurriedly and puts on the maternity jeans she still has from her first pregnancy. The bump is visible in her lower belly; she's really small and slender, and with her almost four months her stomach already shows the curves of her beautiful condition. Her body has the same roundness of the time when she was carrying Hershey, she's not fat, she's prettier and sexier. No wonder Jacob loved her so much, desired her so much. Every inch of her skin glows, projecting the radiance only my wife can have.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," I tell her.

While we drive to the airport I can't help asking her once more.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go alone? I mean, if the only thing you want is for them to know you're pregnant, and a catch-up, I think I can manage that on my own."

"Out of the question, Jasper Whitlock. We're a family, and so we'll do this as a family, ok?"

I sigh. "Ok. You win."

After a while I come up with a lighter topic.

"How will you call this baby?" I ask her. "Reese? M&M?"

"No," she says. "Skittles if it's a boy, Lindt for a girl."

"You're unbelievable," I laugh, shaking my head.

"Shut up and kiss me," she says, pulling my face to hers.

It's a long flight, but peaceful. Hershey falls asleep in my arms while Alice feels much better. She curls up against me while I stroke her hair.

"Do they know we're coming?" I ask her.

"No. I didn't want to give them time to prepare something nasty." Finally, it was time she said something about all this that made sense. "They don't have the slightest idea we're coming."

We arrive to Italy. She drives this time, so I don't look too conspicuous. Luckily winter has arrived to Volterra, too, so we're greeted by a sunless day. This city is beautiful, we drive past the Roman Theatre and the Addolorata Chapel, the Etrusan Walls and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, everything exquisitely built and decorated. I have the pleasure of seeing my eight-month-old baby laughing delighted at all the new marvels her little blue eyes find. Alice watches her, too, and her lips curl in a tender smile while she runs a hand over her tummy. And though I know we're going straight towards danger, I feel happy.

Then we see the Piazza dei Priori. The Palazzo stands tall and proud. Under its tower, right in the middle of the bulinding, is the clock, marking just a little after noon. Hershey claps in joy at the sight of the palace.

"Yeah, impressive, isn't it? Built in 1239," I tell her.

"But the tower is not completely original," intervenes Alice. "The top half was repaired after the earthquake of 1846."

"Too true," I agree. "I met the guy, architect Mazzei. Nice man." Alice rolls her eyes.

We park and start walking. To tell the truth I'm not sure if we can show ourselves without invitation. Will they be offended? I'm not sure. But I need not worry anymore, because we run into Heidi, who, strangely, isn't guiding a group of innocent tourists this time.

"Why, Cullens here," she says. "Nice to see you."

"Same, Heidi. We were wondering if your masters would see us."

"I see no reason why not. You know they all like your family, Jasper, and particularly this branch," she gestures at Hershey, now in her mother's arms. "It seems you have some interesting news, Alice," she adds, looking down at my wife's bump.

"Ah, yes. That's why we came here, to tell them."

"Good. Congratulations." And in Heidi's feelings I notice the faintest touch of envy.

She takes us into the passage that leads to the Volturi.

"I thought there was a kind of hole in the street," says Alice when she sees a well-concealed door.

"There is," answers Heidi. "But in your condition it would be very dangerous to use it. this way is better."

Other than that, everything's the same –the tunnel, the wooden door, the elevator, Gianna, everything the same maze it had been for centuries, until we see the stone antechamber and the room-turret that followed. Heidi comes in first to announce us, and then she reappears.

"They will see you. They're very happy to have you here."

For the first time I perceive fear in Alice's heart. She presses the baby –who ever since we came into the castle fell silent and now looks around with scared eyes- against her heart, and at the same time reaches for my hand, which she squeezes tightly. We go into the hall.

"Alice! Jasper! What a delightful surprise! I love surprises!" Aro cries across the room. "Why did you not tell us you were planning to come? We would have prepared something special for you. Such good friends!"

He walks towards us and takes Alice's hand, thus pulling it away from mine. Her heart sinks when she loses this contact with me. I feel furious and scared, too, for what I feel in him isn't curiosity, but simple desire. The pig.

"Always a pleasure and an honour to see you, my dear," he says, kissing her hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Aro."

"And this is your daughter? My, my, children do grow fast. When was the last time we saw each other? Yet I almost did not recognize her." His eyes move lower and fix themselves on her stomach. "But, what do I see? You are pregnant?"

"Yes, Aro," she says, unable to hide a smile.

"This is truly wonderful! Such an occasion had never been seen here before. How lovely! Marcus, Caius, come and join in our celebration."

They come closer, smiling, but I notice a certain displeasure with me. But, why? Because she's pregnant and it's my child? Are they angry because I touched her? Because she's mine? Well, she's my wife, isn't she? I think that gives me the right to love her and be the father of her children.

"How long till we meet this little angel?" asks Aro, while he -to Alice's horror and mine- runs a hand over her stomach.

"Five more months," answers my wife.

"Wonderful. Wonderful indeed. And now, my dear, tell this old man what you have done in these months."

Only now Aro begins to use his power on Alice. His red eyes are fixed on her blue ones -the same ones she inherited to Hershey- and both his hands close around one of hers. How long is too long? When can I finally say he's taking far too much time? I can't stand one more second of his touching her, I just ca-

"Ah. Interesting," Aro looks at me and smiles. "So... Jasper, we had a little incident with a certain boy... an admirer, so it seems..." he raises his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, Aro," no, I'm not. "That boy... well, I guess you've seen what he tried to do to her. I didn't really mind his flirting with her, but when he hurt her... I suppose you understand."

"Absolutely. I totally support you. Were she mine, I would not even take her out, in fear of losing her."

"Such an incident is most unpleasant," intervenes Caius. "If you ever need help with a situation of this nature, consider us on you side."

"But, Jasper," says Marcus. "No special protection would be needed if she were able to defend herself."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, it is very simple. Change the girl. Turn her into a vampire."

Everybody looks at me. Alice is very calm, after all this is also her wish. The rest are eager and curious. I'm simply desperated.

"But, the children..." I begin.

"Well, obviously you will wait after she gives birth, maybe after she is done with breastfeeding. But once that has happened, I see no reason why she should stay human. You don't want her to outgrow you, do you? You don't want her to... die, do you?"

"I... I... maybe... but you can't force me to do that to my wife."

"Of course not," says Aro, "we will not force you. As long as you do it willingly, that is."

"And the kids," adds Caius. In a millisecond he has taken Hershey from Alice's arms. The child begins to whimper, holding out her arms to her mother. "She seems more human than vampire," comments he. "That should also be taken care of. Later, naturally. We do not want the immortal children thing all over again. But in a near future you should consider this option for your daughter, and the child coming."

"Alice is the one that matters most right now," says Aro. "She must be transformed as soon as possible. Honestly, Jasper, I cannot understand how you have been able to wait so long. Any other man in you place would have immortalized this beauty first chance."

"I love her too much."

"That is understandable. Still, I cannot help admiring your resistance. Her blood smells truly wonderful. Anyone else..." he puts his hands on both sides of Alice's waist and pulls her to him. He inhales the fragance of her black hair and moves to her throat and neck. She's frozen with fear, she's now regretting this visit. I'm too horrified to move. Aro has my wife, Caius has my daughter, and I just stand there, poisoned with my own wrath and impotence. Aro breathes deeply, inflicting the burning pain to himself in the pursuit of his desire. And there's nothing I can do.

"Yes," he finally says, "it will be most interesting to see her once she has been transformed. I can hardly wait. Hurry up, Jasper."

"I will, Aro."

"Excellent. And, Alice, honey, do not forget to bring your new child so we can meet him, or her. It would be most delightful."

"Yes. I will."

"I think we should go now," I intervene, trying to stop at the same time Alice's dizziness. "We have already caused too much trouble."

"Oh, none at all. You are most welcome to our little refuge anytime. Come back soon!"

Caius returns our child. Alice hugs her and I wrap my arm around my wife's shoulders. Before they can regret letting us go, we escape.


	26. Happiness

**You're all going to hate me, but: I'm leaving again. I'm going on school camp to Veracruz, one od Mexico's states. I leave on Monday and come back on Saturday, so it will be at least two weeks before we read each other again. Sorry, guys.****Happiness**

We tried to forget Volterra had ever happened and focused on the December celebrations instead. Alice's birthday, on December 21st, was a quiet affair. She didn't make a fuss of her birthday because she was still insisting on my changing her, but for Christmas she was planning a big, big something.

"Have you noticed, darling?" she told me once. "I've spent these last two Christmases pregnant! First Hershey and now this baby. Isn't it interesting?"

There was nothing that made Alice prouder than being a mother. At the slightest provocation she would start talking about our children, and showing pictures and everything. She was so charming she communicated the same adoration for the kids to whoever was listening. She also wore clothes that emphasized her condition, that shouted about her pregnancy. And I felt proud, too. I felt proud of having been able to build such a wonderful family when I thought everything was lost for me. I had an amazing wife, a beautiful daughter, and yet another little baby on its way.

"And it's Hershey's first Christmas!" Alice added while she made plans. "Well, second, but, ah, you get the concept. The first time Santa will visit her! What do you think he'll bring?"

"A sibling," I answered. "Baby, do you really believe in Santa?" I asked her as I pulled her onto my lap.

"I believe in everything that can make me happy. Everything that can make my family happy." She smiled and kissed me. "Ready to write to the North Pole?"

And Santa came. He came indeed. It seemed he left his entire bag for us, the Main House, Carlisle and Esme's, was practically swimming in packages and cards when we arrived for the big party. And that was without counting the gifts each of us couples would bring.

"Rosammett has arrived! Now the party can really start!" Emmett's happy voice shook the entire house when he came in with Rosalie in his arms. Edward and Bella arrived short after and then the entire Cullen family was complete.

Emmett organized an arm-wrestling tournament on snow that made him very happy until Carlisle won. In that moment he casually suggested we went back inside and opened the presents. Everybody got at least two thousand things: Esme got a few necklaces, another island for her little collection, and even a 'Mom, you rock!' poster. Rosalie got a new wardrobe while Bella was forced by her boyfriend to accept a Audi coupé. Esme had a very special gift for Alice and me: a cottage in the woods. She knew we sometimes wanted peace and quiet and therefore built that space for us. We were also equipped with enough stuff for five more children.

Santa had even left his pets, because Rosalie found a black horse outside her house. While she bet with her husband to see who was faster, if her horse or his Jeep, Alice and I sat by the fire with Edward and Bella. Hershey, at our feet, was playing with the decorations that hung from the huge Christmas tree. Her baby laughter filled the air every few minutes, causing us all to look at her and smile.

"It's so wonderful to see you two finally together," said Alice. "Bella, I can assure you you've found a great man, and years of happiness are waiting for you."

"Thanks. I know. Edward is everything I've ever wished and more," Bella said, curling herself against Edward.

"She's the best thing life has ever given me," said he as he tangled his fingers in her long dark hair.

"These women are amazing, aren't they?" Carlisle and Esme joined us, and they cuddled together, too. "Everytime I look at my Esme's eyes I see everything I need and want," he leaned forward and kissed her lips.

Rosalie and Emmett, completely covered in snow, arrived and snuggled up on the floor, right beside the fire. Seconds later, a pool had formed around them.

"Emmett protects me and knows exactly how I need to be loved. He cares for me, he looks after me, and I could never thank him enough," While Rosalie said this she looked straight at him, softly caressing his hair and cheek. He pressed his forehead to hers.

"Well, what can I say?" I began, now more than full of the loving air floating in the room. "My beautiful, marvellous, breathtaking wife has given me my two treasures: this little teddy bear," I looked down at Hershey, now curled up and asleep under the tree, she looked like another gift, "and this new jewel," I kissed her tummy. "I never thought such a thing was possible for me. I thought this level of happiness just didn't exist. My children are the reason of my whole existence." And just like Carlisle and Esme had just done, Alice and I melted in a kiss.

"Speaking of children..." began Bella. She looked into Edward's eyes and down, biting her lip and smiling.

"No way!" exclaimed Emmett. "You're kidding!"

Edward and Bella's smile grew wider. He kissed her hand and they turned to us.

"We're having a baby!" they said together.

The whole house burst with happiness. Esme looked like she could cry, Emmett couldn't stop hugging Edward just like my wife didn't seem to find enough words to congratulate Bella.

"Motherhood is Life's best gift," she told her. "I'm so happy for you!"

This was much more than we had ever imagined. Cheers and laughter, love and joy, in the endless quantities only immortality can make you feel.

Everything was perfect.


	27. The revenge of the jealous ice cream

The alien is back, people. The alien survived the mosquitoes and the heat. The alien didn't choke with all the food she ate –she should, though. Six hot cakes, coffee, orange juice, beans and eggs, all in only one breakfast is something that fat alien should get punished for. But she's on a diet now-. And now the alien wants you to read and enjoy this chapter, and says that she won't post anything new unless she gets at least six reviews. ET phones hooommmeeee !

The revenge of the jealous ice cream

All of a sudden we were making plans not only for our child, but also for Edward and Bella's. This new year was definitely a Baby Year. Bella and I had the top status now that we both were pregnant, and our husbands were the most envied men in the vampire world for having fertile wives.

Well, strictly speaking Bella and Edward weren't married yet, but, ah, you get the idea. Along with the baby preparations the family started wedding plans, anyway, so things were pretty much set. Though my new sister and I were totally overprotected by everyone we managed to escape a few times and go to the mall. And it was after one of those trips that I got the call.

"Yes?"

"Alice?"

"_Jacob?_"

"Thank God it was you who picked the phone. I was all but ready to hang up the moment I heard you husband's voice."

Hearing Jacob... I felt like all those months had never passed, as if it had only been yesterday that I'd seen him; it felt like he'd never requested his change from magazine so we didn't have to see each other. I forgot we'd ever fought, I forgot he'd stolen me a kiss and then said that Jasper didn't love me. Having my brother back was all my life needed to be perfect.

"So... what's up?" I asked. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks. Got a promotion."

"Wow, that's great. Congratulations."

"Thanks. And what about you?"

"Pregnant. Still. And my sister-in-law is expecting a baby, too, so we're, like, you know... busy."

"I can imagine. You do sound tired. Cheer up, baby, you'll make it." Jacob's caramel-colored voice was soft and soothing, and just like Jasper's deep, manly voice, it was a sound I could hear forever without getting tired.

"Um, Alice," he spoke again, "well... would you like to... er... go out with me? Like, go for an ice cream, perhaps?"

"I'd love to," I answered. I'd suddenly felt the need of seeing him again, of seeing those sweet dark eyes and his still childlike face. Yet there was something I needed to do first. "Jake, could you hold on, please? I need to, you know... ask for permission."

"Oh. Yeah, sure, I'll wait. Good luck."

I quickly dialed the number of my other favorite person in the world.

"Hi, sweetheart," said Jasper after just the first ring.

"Hello, Jazz. Um, I need to ask you something."

"Sure... darling, you sound worried. What's the matter?"

"Well, you see, Jacob... is... back."

I heard him take a deep breath to steady himself. Oops.

"And what does he want?"

"He's on the other line. He invited me to go out, I don't know, a coffee or something. Can I go? Please?"

Silence. More silence.

"Ok," he finally said. "Whatever makes you happy. Tell him to pick you up in an hour. I'm leaving for home right now to be there when he arrives. He and I need to talk. Then I'll look after Hershey. Like the plan?"

"Perfect. I'll tell him. I love you, Jasper."

"I love you too, honey," he answered, his voice soft again.

"Jake."

"So! Are you out of jail now?"

"Jacob," I scolded him.

"Sorry."

"For your information, yes, I'm free. Can you come in an hour?"

"Sure." I could hear his smile through the phone.

"We'll be waiting, then."

"Oh. Ok," when he caught the plural the smile faded.

Jasper arrived fifteen minutes after I called him. I assured him over and over again that I'd be careful, that I'd call him if I needed something, that I was old enough and Jake was decent enough not to need Emmett as chaperone -here he reminded me of that stolen kiss. I just stuck my tongue out at him-, and that I didn't know about this until Jacob called, and no, we weren't planning anything behind his back.

"I'll be safe," I told him. "I'll be safe and back home on time and in love with you as I've always been and will always be." I kissed him long and sweetly, trying to communicate my feeling as clearly as possible. I took his hand and placed it on my stomach, making him touch our baby. When our eyes met he smiled.

"I guess I just love you too much," he sighed, and kissed my hands and forehead.

When Jacob finally arrived they both acted surprisingly civilized considering they'd once been about to kill each other.

"Listen, Jacob, I'm doing this for her," said Jasper, "because I love her and I want her to be happy. Her wish, your command. Don't even think of trying anything she doesn't want, because I'd hunt you till the last of your days, which wouldn't be many, anyway. You're taking more than half my family with you," he ran a hand over my stomach, "and if they return anything but perfect you'll regret it. Protect them with your life. Understood?"

"Yes," was all Jacob said.

"Then... take care, sweetheart. Call me whenever you need something."

"I will. I love you. Bye."

Only when I saw and hugged Jacob I realized how much I'd really missed him, and how poor my memories of him were.

"You've grown," I told him, observing him as he drove.

"Well, look who's talking. You're huge !"

"Am I?" I asked, worried.

"Of course not, Al," he laughed. "You look great. This babies thing suit you. When is this kid due?"

"Three of four more months."

"Wow. And what, will this one be called after a chocolate too?"

"No. This one will be Skittles."

He laughed again. "Did you know you're extremely funny?"

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"God," he said. "You give children to a child. That's why the world gets worse everyday."

We went to a small, cozy cafeteria where we both ate in an hour what normal people eats in two days. The thing is, I loved to eat with someone who could actually eat with me, not just watch me. That's why I liked Bella, I wasn't the only one with Starbucks cravings now. There's a bond formed with food, like a mother who breastfeeds her child, there's more comunication. And now I could not only eat freely, but talk about magazines and news and all of this press world and know the other person does understand what I'm saying.

I was too happy to have Jacob back that I never mentioned the kiss incident in fear it could create another problem. He followed my example and pretended this last four months had never happened. We talked about trivialities, books, music, places we'd visited, places we wanted to visit. The third capuccino -or was it the fourth?- made us talk about Taylor Swift, who he knew thanks to his sister.

"Remeber she was dating this guy who will be playing Action Man, or Max Steel, or some hero? According to Leah, they were just perfect and should get married. She almost cried when they split up."

"Well, your sister is right. They are a wonderful couple. They _should_ get married."

So, you get an idea of our deep, meaningful, relevant conversation. Next thing I knew, three hours had flown.

"Oh, no," said Jacob. "I promised Leah I'd pick her up twenty minutes ago. She'll be mad at me."

We then left and he drove as fast as possible to pick his sister up from her art class. The first thing I thought when I saw Leah was what a great vampire she'd make. Tall, slender, copper-skinned, with the same sweet dark eyes Jacob had, and a quiet voice. She was a year older that I, and beautiful. She'd probably be a talented vampire.

"So, you're the famous Alice," she said. "Jacob just can't stop talking about you."

"Yeah, thanks, Leah."

"Well, I promised I'd tell her if you didn't shut up. I always keep my promises."

It was all very well until Jake took me home. Jasper was outside, waiting for me, and when I caught Leah's expression when she saw him I understood what he felt when he saw me with Jacob. Pure, simple, undiluted jealousy.

"Hi, love," he greeted me. The way he looked at me showed he knew what I was feeling and he was enjoying his small revenge. When I introduced him to Leah, I carefully emphasized the he was _my_ husband, and father of _my_ children, and we were _very_ much in_ love_. You know, just in case.

And so Jasper laughed openly at me when we were alone.

"Who's the jealous one now, uh?"

"I know. I'm sorry, I should have tried to understand you. You were right. It's horrible."

"You have no reason to fear. I love only you."

"Yeah, but she-"

"Ha! See how it feels like? To trust the one you love, but hate and fear the other person? See how it feels to be constantly terrified?"

"Yes. I do. I'm sorry, Jazz. You win."

"Always. And what will be my reward?" he held me by the waist and his tone changed from mocking to honeyed and suggestive.

"Mmmm... I don't know... What do you want?" my voice imitated his.

"Well, I can think of something where we can feel a little bit more than jealousy," he whispered.

"Sounds good. Shall we?"

And during the rest of the night we got to feel a lot more than jealousy.


	28. Should have known better

**Hi there. I know, I took too long. But I have semestral exams, all of them quite sadistic. Also, I'm working on a shortfilm for Spanish class, which I wrote and I'm directing. On top of that, I've got a job. So, you get the idea... CAN'T WAIT FOR ECLIPSEEEEEE ! It's my favorite book. AAAAHHHH ! See ya.**

**Should have known better**

It was early March and Alice was seven months pregnant. Unlike Hershey, this baby still allowed her to move, she could walk and have a normal life. This time her bump was rather small, and speculations started.

"It's a boy," said Esme. "Boys are always smaller than girls."

"And they say with boys you look better, you bloom," added Rose. "Yeah, definitely a boy."

"Maybe it's just a small girl," intervened Carlisle, thoughtful. "What do you think, Alice. Any special feeling?"

"I say it's hermaphrodite triplets," she joked, but I knew that in the inside she was exhausted of it all.

That's why I thought that perhaps if we took a break and went somewhere we could be alone she'd feel better. Edward agreed with me, he was already planning something for Bella, who in her third month was already panicking. Therefore, I talked to my wife.

"Hi, Jazz," she greeted me from the couch, where she sat trying to massage her shoulders.

"Hi, baby. Here, let me help you." I started rubbing her back and after a while I spoke. "Darling, don't you think we need to rest? I mean, we've had a lot to do lately, and, well, I don't want you to be stressed. It's just two more months to go, and I want my girl happy, relaxed and strong."

"Thanks, darling," she smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well... remember that cottage Esme gave us for Christmas? The one in the woods? I was thinking that maybe we could spend a week or two there, and still be back on time for the baby."

"Hm... I don't know... I'm not sure..."

"But what's the matter?"

"I don't know... maybe... the birth is round the corner and... oh, I don't know. I'll think about it, ok?"

"Ok, sweetie. Think. We'll talk tomorrow."

But next morning her doubt had turned into a negative.

"I have a feeling, Jazz. It's not the best idea. I really appreciate it, believe me, and it does sound awesome, but something's not right. I can feel it. Let's stay, please. After the baby is born we'll go, ok?"

I should have known better. I should have listened to her and done what she said. But nooo, I insisted.

"Honey, are you sure? You look tired, I _feel_ you tired. You definitely need a break from everything. I mean, our family rocks, but maybe it will do us both good to be away for a while, don't you think?"

I should have known better. Yet for the next two or three days I insisted, I even used some of my power to convince her. I told her it would be the best for her, and only later I realized it was the best for _me_. Or should have been, anyway.

So finally she looked at me and sighed.

"Fine," she said. "We'll go. You're right, maybe this is what I need. I'm sure Esme or Rose can look after Hershey while we're away. How long?"

"Two weeks?"

"Perfect. It will be fun. Thanks for thinking of me, Jazz, love. It means a lot to me."

"I love you, Alice."

Her mouth was still forming a little pout of doubt and she looked thoughtful. I took her by the chin and kissed her lips, soft, tiny pecks, one after the other, to make that pout disappear.

"C'mon, chiquita," I said between kisses, "a smile for your Jazz. Just a little one."

I kissed her until the smile floated on her lips. She put her arms around me and mine held her, too. In two days' time, we were off to the cottage.

_I should have known better._


	29. Choices

**Hello, humankind. No, this time I won't bore you with the mediocre adventures of my life. I'll just say hi. I hope you all see Toy Story 3 because it's the most beautiful movie that has come out in a while, and may your countries get far in the World Cup cuz mine are all a failure. Next Sunday my Mexico is playing against _Argentina_. Everybody is suggesting Mexico takes their luggage to Johannesburg, because as soon as the match ends, they're flying back home. My Switzerland 0, Chile 1. My Germany 0, Serbia 1. You get the picture. Ah... See ya !**

**Choices**

The first week we spend at the cottage is a completely happy one. We go for walks around the woods, or we stay indoors and make... very interesting stuff.

"See how you didn't need to worry, darling?" I tell Alice. "Everything's going smooth and easy."

"You're right, Jazz. Sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."

We enjoy ourselves, it had been quite a while since we were so alone, and I am thankful for this chance.

Next week, however, everything changes.

We have two days left, and Alice looks much better. She seems ready for this new baby and I'm glad this plan worked. Night falls, and with it a soft rain. My wife has always loved the rain, so she sits by the window and watches. Her hands rest on her stomach, cradling our coming child, and she looks plainly gorgeous. I approach her, kiss her head, and place my hands on hers. I bend down to kiss her face and notice something.

"Honey, you're very warm. Are you feeling ill or something?"

"Um, no. I'm fine. Must be that it's very warm in here."

"Ok. If you need anything, just tell me."

"I will, love. Thanks."

I observe her, but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. After an hour, she gets on her feet.

"I'll just get a sweater. I'm rather cold," she says.

There's something in her voice, so I come closer and check her.

"You're too hot," I say, feeling her face.

"Ooh, I know," she smiles, her eyes twinkling.

"Alice, you know what I mean. Your temperature. This isn't normal." Her cheeks are red, she's sweating, she's definitely ill.

"I don't feel anything, Jazz."

"But there _is_ something. You're running a fever. Go lay for a while."

"But-"

"I have a medical degree, so don't contradict me. I'll go with you. Just... rest."

We go to the bedroom and I wrap her in blankets so she can sweat the fever off. I observe her while the humming of the rain lulls her. She seems to be sleeping, but suddenly she calls me.

"Jasper?"

"Yes?"

"I'm cold."

She's got five blankets wrapping her. When I feel her forehead, it's boiling; her hands, too, are like flames. She shivers when I touch her, the coldness of my skin too much to bear. She's sick, very, very sick.

"Jasper, please," she says feebly.

"What is it, darling?"

"I'm cold. I'm really cold."

I rub her arms in an attempt of warming her, but it's useless. She's soon trembling and delirious. I consider taking her and running to a hospital, but a lightning destroys that idea. I try to call Carlisle, but the phone is dead. Only now do I realize it's pouring outside, what started as a simple drizzle has become an enormous flood. We don't have any medicine here, and even if we did I wouldn't use it for fear of hurting the baby, so I have to resign myself and use only compresses and my own cold skin. There's no way I'm risking her. Therefore, I wait.

Time goes by, minutes become hours, and she doesn't seem to get any better. I cradle her, whisper soothing words, nurse her, but nothing works. I start regretting this trip- if only we had stayed at home as she wanted, none of this would be happening. Even if this fever had existed, we'd have a hospital nearby, we'd have medicines, we'd have a doctor. Instead, I insisted until she agreed on coming here, though she never really wanted to. Now she lies there, with the worst fever ever, a child in her womb, and an useless husband. We're alone.

More time passes. All the water of the world seems to be falling over us. In the distance I can hear trees falling, thunders and lightnings everywhere. And all these sounds are soon joined by a much worse one. Quietly at first, Alice moans. It's so soft that for a moment I think I imagined it, but then she moans again, louder this time. Her body curls and she grimaces in pain. The third moan resembles a scream. I remove the blankets and find her hands on her stomach, rubbing it while new pain arrives. Then it clicks. It's contractions.

But she can't possibly be giving birth! She's only seven months pregnant! There's no way the baby's coming right now. Except that it is.

"Jazz," she says, having regained consciousness with the pain. "Jazz, the baby... it's coming... do something..."

I growl in frustration. What can I do? Yes, I said I have a medical degree, but I've never even seen how a baby is born. I'm clueless. Yet this is my baby, moreover, _Alice's_ baby, and I just have to do something.

"Jasper," she moans, "the waters-" pain cuts her off, "the waters broke. It's really coming."

"Don't worry, darling. Everything will be fine. You'll both be safe."

They are empty words, but at least soothing; she won't panic like me. She sinks again in a delirium that is only interrupted by a cry of pain as another contraction arrives. Meanwhile, I do what I've seen in movies- prepare hot water, towels, scissors. What are they for, no idea, but at least they're there.

I combine this preparations with attempts to call Carlisle; no matter how many times I fail, I keep trying. After more or less ten minutes, the storm recedes and my call gets through.

"Yes?" Carlisle himself gets the phone.

"Carlisle, thank God."

"Jasper? What is it, son?" in the distance I hear Esme's soft voice, "What's the matter, honey?"

"Alice. She-" my wife's screams break in the air. I rush to her side and coo her.

"What's wrong with her?"Carlisle heard her, too, and is now panicking.

"She has fever, a very strong fever. And... contractions."

"_What?_" I hear more noise, like he's gathering and moving things. "She's only seven months pregnant!" voices echo through the phone, the entire family is there. "Are you sure?"

"Her waters broke."

"Ok. She's definitely having the baby. I'm on my way there, twenty minutes at the most. Try to make her resist."

It seems the longest wait in my entire life. She alternates between delirium and pain, both break my heart. It hurts too much to see her suffer, and I'd gladly take her place to save her all this. I'm also terrified about the baby. If something happened to it I could never forgive myself. As bad as this situation looks, as bad as our chances are, I can't let myself lose hope. She calls me again and I kneel beside her.

"Carlisle is on his way," I tell her while I stroke her forehead and hair. "He'll help you. You know there's nothing he can't do. Just hold on till he gets here, ok?" she nods and takes my hand. She has another contraction and her grasp on my hand tightens. Despite her illness, I feel her pressure. She's a resistant woman, she'll survive. She has to.

Someone knocks at the door. Carlisle. He wastes no time in hurring to Alice's side.

"God," he says softly, just by looking at her.

That sends a new wave of panick through my body. I'd wanted to think my assumptions were wrong, that I'd thought her so sick because of my inexperience, that I saw everything more dangerous than it really was. Carlisle's face has changed my perspective.

"That bad?" I ask, but I don't really want to hear the answer.

"Or worse. I don't know. How long has she been running the fever?" he inquires as he checks her. "And the contractions?"

"Fever about four hours ago. Contractions, two, two and a half."

"Oh my." Alice screams again. "Alice, dear. It's me, Carlisle. Listen, I want you to be very strong, for you and your baby. You must resist. This won't be easy, but you'll get through it. I know you will. I'm trying to induce the birth, and I need you to help me, ok?" She nods.

But no matter how hard they both try, their efforts fail. She's too weak to give birth by herself and there's not much Carlisle can do. He says that were we in the city, he'd already be in the middle of a Caesarean. I suggest trying to get to the city but he just nods toward the window. For as soon as Carlisle got here the storm started again, even stronger than before, water hammering against the roof and windows.

I feel so helpless. What do I want immortality for, if I can't save my wife and child? What are the strenght, the sharp senses for, if I can't make this storm stop, if I can't go back in time and listen to what she said, stay at home, wait until the baby is born, remember that her 'I have a feeling' s are always right, that she knows much more than I do? What do I want to control people's emotions for, if I can't control a stupid fever? It's killing me.

Then I see Carlisle approaching me.

"Is she asleep?" I ask, looking at my wife's beautiful face, now calm and still.

He shakes his head. "Fainted. She's too weak."

I sigh and run my hands through my hair in desperation. "What do we do now?"

He sighs, too, and looks down. "Pray, son. Pray." We look at each other. He looks like he wants to add something else, but doesn't quite get the courage to.

"Just say it, Carlisle."

"Ok. Listen, son, Alice is really bad. She's a strong girl, but there are chances that she might not make it through this."

"Be specific."

" I'm trying my hardest not to get to that point, but if the moment comes for you to decide between saving Alice or the child, who would you choose?"


	30. Happy Ending

**Eclipseeeeeee ! ALICE AND JASPER KISSED TWICE ! AAAAAAHHHH !**

**Ok, sorry about that. But those kisses have made my entire month. And, like I said in my other story, **_**Hope**_** (check it out!), if I took so long to update it's because I thought we all needed time to see and assimilate Eclipse. The before mentioned kisses have affected me in a way that seems permanent, but I hope the rest of you are calm and sane again. See ya! XOXO**

Happy Ending

"...if the moment comes for you to decide between saving Alice or the child, who would you choose?"

I look at him, horrified. "Carlisle... don't, please. Don't ask me that."

"Son, believe me, I'm doing everything I can. But we have to consider the possibility that-"

"No!" I shout. "No no no!" I fall on a chair. "They both have to survive. They _have_ to."

"Jasper," sighs Carlisle, patting my shoulder. "I know this is hard for you. What I'm asking, it's just hypothetical, it's just to be prepared, should anything happen. It doesn't mean it _has_ to happen."

I look at Carlisle, the question still in his eyes. Finally, I sigh. "I love my children. They're Alice and me, combined. They're beautiful. But... I just wouldn't be able to live without my Alice, I wouldn't. I... she means too much for me, she's my entire world. She could have more kids, all the babies she wanted, she..." I trail off, lost in thought and pain.

"Alice, then," says Carlisle. I nod.

"Carlisle..." says a tiny, feeble voice. Alice, conscious again.

We rush to her side. "Yes, dear?"

"I... heard you... I... choose the baby... always the baby, ok?"

"But, Alice-" I start.

"Sshh. I've lived... The baby ha-hasn't... It deserves a chance. Whatever happens, my baby- my baby survives, do you hear me?"

Carlisle accepts. She tries to add something else, but her own screams interrupt her.

"Now's the time, Carlisle... It's coming... remember what I said."

She screams again. He prepares everything -he does know what the scissors, water and towels are for- and turns to me.

"Take her hand. Comfort her. This will hurt. Alice, resist. Everything will be fine. Just be strong. Now, breathe and... push!"

He commands, she obeys, and I can only close my eyes and pray. She doesn't need my help, her will to live and her love of our child are enough to keep her going. This continues for an eternity until, finally, I hear it.

"UUAAA ! UUUUUAAAAA! UUUUAAAAA!"

It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard, a strong, powerful cry.

"For a seven-month, not bad lungs at all," says Carlisle, and laughs.

"What is it, Carlisle?" asks Alice.

"It's a boy. A strong, healthy, goregous little man."

"A boy!" she exclaims. Now she laughs along with him and caresses my cheek. "At least I've given you one of each." I smile and kiss her lips. "Carlisle, please," she holds her arms out for our son.

"Hm, Alice, are you sure? You're still weak, you should re- oh, ok, you win."

He places the baby, now wrapped in a sheet, in her arms. He's a tiny thing, small, small, small. Carlisle is right, Alice needs to recover, she's weak, so I put an arm under hers to help her support the baby. He's the exact copy of... wow, of me. He even has the golden eyes! There's a promising brown fluff of a hair that could turn out to be my curls.

"Hello, baby," she cooes. "Oh, look at him, isn't he beautiful?"

"Of course he is. He's my living portrait."

"Yeah. Carlisle, look at him, see how gorgeous he is."

"He's indeed a beautiful baby," Carlisle says. "And very lucky. He's strong and healthy. But how do you feel, Alice?"

"Ah, exhausted. But I think the fever is gone."

Carlisle feels her forehead and agrees with her. "You really got us a fright, girl, we thought we'd lost you."

"What, did you think I'd let you in peace so easily? That you could free yourselves of me just like that? Noooo, never."

The storm is over now, se we're able to call the family with the good news. Apparently, they had all been glued to the phone for the past three hours.

"What is it? What is it? What is it?" asks Rosalie.

"A boy," I inform her. In the distance, I hear Emmett _whoo hooing_.

"And you, Alice? How do you feel, dear?"

"I'm great, Esme. Everything's fine."

"When are you coming back?" inquires Edward

"Tomorrow. Or, well, later today."

"Good. Then you'll tell Bella you're both alive and well and that she doesn't need to panic. Oh, you know it's true, honey. You _were_ panicking."

Everybody laughs at this.

"How's Hershey?" Alice asks.

"She's with me," answers Emmett. "But, sorry, she doesn't seem really glad about having a baby brother. Guess she's used to be the baby of the house."

Now, that's something to think about. Alice had already told me Hershey could react like this, but I'd never considered it through. Hm...

But we decide we'll talk later, and let Alice and the child rest. The baby, for that matter, is already sleeping like a log.

Alice is harder to convince, though. She doesn't want to leave the child, even when she knows that he'll be with Carlisle and me. Still, she yawns. Poor thing, she's really knackered.

"Come on, love, you need to sleep."

"No, I want... I want... don't do that, Jasper, I want... my son..."

I've just used my powers to make her fall asleep. It was the only way. She was truly tired, though, and now, as I see her sleeping naturally, her cheeks back to their beautiful pink shade, her breathing even, I allow myself to laugh in relief. I take the baby from her and hand him to Carlisle.

"Thank you Carlisle. Without you..."

"On the contrary, thank you, son. You looked after them very well. If you hadn't, there would have been nothing I could do. _You_ saved them."

While we speak, he's dressing the child. For, I forgot to mention before, but when he arrived he had not only his doctor bag, but also the bag Rosalie had bought for our baby, containing diapers, clothes, and so. Apparently, the women had forced him to bring it, and even insisted that he protected it from the rain. Now, it's proving very useful. These girls always know.

It's truly interesting, how not two hours ago I'd been trying to decide between two of the most important beings in my life and now both were safe, alive, happy. Yet... something intrigues me. Alice had been very, very ill before giving birth, so ill I had to consider the possibility of losing her. And, just as soon as the baby was born, she recovered. Just like that. Boom! Healthy again. Could it... could it be something he was doing to her? I mean, it had been a quiet, easy pregnancy, but this... I tell Carlisle, and he says that it could be the sign of talent in the child, an Alec-like talent, more or less. Nothing is certain, though. We'll have to see.

But that will be later.

Thought this would end up a tragedy? Ho! No Greek theater here, I'm afraid. Quoting my very much loved Aro (no sarcasm, I truly adore him) "... is alive after all. Isn't that wonderful? I love a happy ending."

**And despite this chapter's title, it is NOT the ending. There will be more chapters. **

**Right now, I'd greatly appreciate your suggestions to name this kid, cuz I'm a major blank (told you the Jalice kisses affected me). Let me know !**

**XOXO**


	31. The last heartbeat

**Hello, people. Changed my pen name, noticed? Now I'm Intergalactic Chocochip Cookie. More like me, actually. Sorry I took almost two weeks, it's called summer job. My apologies. Enjoy!**

**The last heartbeat**

"Good morning, Skittles!"

Before you, like I did when I first heard that, start panicking and hyperventilating, let me explain: this is not the baby's real name. He's actually called Leo Jackson Whitlock. Skittles is only the nickname Alice uses to pamper him and to tease me. I shook my head while she started breastfeeding our son.

He was a week old now. Though he was tiny there were no signs of damage from his early birth, on the contrary, he was healthy as a horse -or, in this case, as a colt-, slept and ate well, and he was absolutely perfect. Oops, don't tell Hershey I said that last bit. Truth be told, she had been having some problems to deal with the arrival of her baby brother. She had been expecting him in two months, and now she'd lost that time to get used to the idea. Alice and I were doing everything we could to help her, but it wasn't easy. Luckily for her, she still was Carlisle's, Esme's, and Rosalie's favourite.

As soon as we got back I'd written a note adressed to Aro, Caius, and Marcus informing them of Leo's birth. We sent it by traditional mail, hoping it would take real long to reach them. Dah, who am I lying to? I was actually hoping it got lost in the middle of the Atlantic. But I preferred not to hide anything, so they had no reason to accuse us. Edward, however, had decided to take that risk, and he hadn't told the Volturi a thing about Bella, let alone tell them she was expecting twins. It was a dangerous move, but he was hoping for the best.

Meanwhile, Alice was on maternity leave, and so she stayed at home to look after our children. Seeing how happy she was when given the chance to play housewife, I couldn't understand why she always insisted on having a job. She obviously didn't need it, and it only took the time she could use for her family. I mean, I don't want to be sexist, if she wanted to work, ok, her choice, whatever made her happy, what I couldn't get was why it made her so happy. But every time I asked her she argued that I didn't need my job, either, yet there I was, working every single day, sometimes extra hours. She, of course, always won.

And that day, as always, I arrived to the office. We were trying to close a contract with an international company, and so we had a meeting with the president, vice president and other members of that firm that took three hours. When we were finally done -the contract successfully closed-, they insisted on going to a restaurant to celebrate and I had to agree. But on the street, right before we left for the restaurant...

"Oh my God, look at _that_," gasped the president. I paid no attention and kept reading the just-signed papers.

"Now, that's a woman," added another guy, his voice shocked. I ignored them, knowing that no matter how pretty that woman was, I'd seen better.

"Holy. Mother. Of. God," said the vicepresident, who was just now coming out of the building. "What a beauty!"

"I'd sell my soul to the devil for a night with her."

"Man, I'd be happy with two hours."

Now I had to look. Just out of curiosity. Wow. I started at her feet. They had pink Burberry high-heeled sandals on, and showed a perfect pedicure. I went up and saw a pair of flawless white legs, barely covered by a pink mini dress, loose but that showed the delicacy of her body. She was well proportioned, to put it mildly. Slender, but curvy, one of Mother Nature's favourites, no doubt. I heard more whispers behind me, but kept looking at her. My eyes admired the soft curve of her shoulders and neck. Then, when I reached her face, it took all my energy not to laugh out loud.

"Hi, darling!" she said smiling as she walked directly toward me.

"Hello... Alice." She put her arms around my waist and turned to the group of utterly shocked men.

"Gentlemen," I said, "may I introduce you to my wife?" In that moment I became the most envied and hated man on Earth.

"Jazz, you're too formal." She stood on tiptoes and planted a big kiss on my cheek. She looked at my face and smiled mischievously. "Hello, I'm Alice," she adressed them cassually. "And these are our kids."

We were all so concentrated on her that absolutely no one had realized she was pushing a double pram. She introduced the candies, I mean, the babies, and smiled when the president asked,

"But... are they yours too, or just Jasper's?"

"Mine, of course. Leo here was born last week."

"Last week? Wow, congratulations. But no one could tell you gave birth a week ago. You look great!"

It was there when I noticed that though they now knew she was _my_ wife and mother of _my_ children, their feelings hadn't changed a bit. Have you seen a Cullen man jealous? Good. Don't.

"Honey, it's a bit cold, isn't it?" I said, taking my coat off. She looked at me, puzzled, and then understood. With a roll of her eyes, she put the coat on. It hung almost to her calf. Much better.

"Well, gentlemen," she said, "I'm afraid I have to steal my husband for the rest of the day. Do you mind?"

"Of course not. Go ahead. And, well, congratulations again," one of them said, gesturing to the pram. "And congratulations to you, too, Jasper." Yeah, awesome. As if I didn't know he was congratulating me on my wife. Her smile was dazzling as she waved goodbye.

When we got in the car the first thing I saw was my face in the mirror. Oh no. When Alice had kissed me, she had left a big lip-shaped pink form on my cheek. So that's why she had smiled like that. Jesus, what am I going to do with her?

But before I found an answer to that question I looked at her. All the charm and calmness she had showed before had melted, leaving anxiety and distress painted clearly on her pretty face.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" I asked, stroking her hair, and easing her worry.

She handed me a piece of parchment. "It arrived today," she explained. The note read:

"_We are more than delighted to welcome another member of the Cullen family. Alice, Jasper, we congratulate you and cannot wait to meet little Leo. We will visit you in ten days; it has been a while since we last saw the entire family. And, of course, we are eager to meet dear Bella, too._

_We look forward to our reunion. We trust we will find you all in good health._

_Until then_

_Aro, Caius, and Marcus."_

_Alice's POV_

Carlisle looked up from the piece of parchment and met our worried eyes.

"And now?" asked Esme.

"Now we wait. There's nothing else we can do. Ten days... But the package has an earlier date than today's, so ten actually is... four days."

For a while everyone was silent.

"How did they find about me?" asked Bella.

"I think that's my fault," I told her. "When Jasper and I went to Volterra, Aro saw my thoughts. I tried not to think about you, but he must have seen you, anyway. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, Al," said Edward. "We knew something like this would happen sooner or later." His arms tightened around Bella and both his and her hands rested on her round stomach.

I tried to look calm, but in fact I was scared for my children. In theory the Volturi had no reason to harm Hershey or Leo, but it was only that, _theory_. I had no way of knowing for sure they would be safe. Their age was in our favour; I knew the last thing the Volturi wanted was something like the immortal children, but still... Jasper, on the other hand, was only concerned about me.

"I just hope the fact you're still breastfeeding Leo will be enough to stop any of their crazy ideas about changing you," he said when we were back in our house.

I looked at him, staring into his eyes. They were so beautiful... Pure gold, with all the experience his centuries had given him reflected in them. They looked at me with tenderness, care, love. Their caramel had hardened, but behind it I could still see the softness that made Jasper _my_ Jasper.

"We must be ready to face whatever comes, ok? If I get changed," he winced, but I continued, "I'll still be the same. I'll still love you, and I'll still love our children. Never doubt that. The only thing is, we'd have to change our marriage vows. The _till Death do us part_ would no longer apply. Now, is that so terrible?"

He was silent. But then, against his will, a smile appeared in his lips. He put his arms around me and held me tight.

"No. It isn't so terrible."

There wasn't much we could do to prepare ourselves, the things we wanted to hide -Bella's pregnancy, my son, and my still being human- were exactly the thing that would be seen first, no matter what we did. Therefore, we waited.

Fortunately it wasn't a long time. Sooner that we thought the sun raised on the fourth day. It was time. The plan was, each couple would stay at their own house for as long as possible, getting ready, then, when we heard them, we'd reunite at Carlisle and Esme's to welcome our visitors. The weakest elements of the family, that is, Bella, my children, and myself, would be right in the centre, behind the rest, visible but protected. That was our best bet.

It took me a while to decide what to wear. Though I tried, I hadn't been able to shake off the memory of Volterra, and of Aro kissing me. What, you thought he had only been smelling me? Wrong. Jasper's view had been blocked by my hair, and he had been distracted by the fact that Caius had Hershey, that's why he thought Aro had just been enjoying my scent. Yet I clearly remembered the feeling of his icy lips brushing my neck and my throat, and it wasn't something I wanted to experience again. But, on the other hand, I knew that if Aro wanted to do something to me, anything, a bunch of clothes wouldn't stop him. I therefore chose a V-neck, short sleeved green blouse and a long, gypsy-like skirt.

"Not that, love," said Jasper. Of course, the overprotective, jealous husband. "This."

Two minutes later, he had dressed me in a pair of old jeans and a black turtleneck sweater.

_Jasper's POV_

Finally, we were ready and together. It was a matter of minutes now. We stood on the front steps of the house. And they came. The usual, the three brothers plus Jane, Alec, Felix, and Demetri. Aro led the procession, a sly, cold smile on his face.

"Carlisle, my friend!" he exclaimed, delighted. Carlisle stepped forward and both men embraced, much to Esme's horror. "So wonderful to see you again! And with such happy news! The Cullen family has grown. But let's start at the beginning. Edward?"

Edward approached Aro, Bella two steps behind. "Hello, Aro. May I introduce Isabella?"

"Oh, but she is exquisite. And... what do I see?" his eyes found Bella's stomach. "Already? Edward, my boy, I really hope you are planning on a wedding."

"Yes, Aro. As soon as our twins are born."

"Twins? These are truly news. Seems like the Cullens increase their numbers by quite a lot. And why, if we may know, had you, Edward, kept this beautiful girl a secret?"

"It wasn't a secret, Aro. You saw her in my sister's mind when she visited you. We were just giving Bella some time to get used to our world before introducing her formally. You agree this society is not easy to understand at once."

"I completely agree, and admire your prudence. Please, let us know when your children are born, with a talented father like you, I have no doubt they will be fascinating as well. And, speaking of babies and talented fathers... You have news, too, Jasper."

I stepped forward, leaving Alice behind, with Leo in her arms. I had Hershey, and I held her as tightly as I could while he spoke.

"We are delighted to announce the birth of our son Leo Jackson, two weeks ago," I said.

"Congratulations! A most wonderful event, indeed. But, please, clear something for me. Forgive me if I am mistaken, to tell the truth I know almost nothing about children and human things, but as far as I know a pregnancy lasts nine months. If so, well, Alice should still be pregnant, a few weeks from her due date."

"Yes, well, we... had a small incident. Leo was born earlier." It wasn't easy for me to talk about this, I still hadn't quite got over the guilt. Through her feelings, Alice tried to send me love and support. I appreciated it, and sent her more love. When Aro held out his hand, more than scared, I was deeply ashamed.

Before anyone from the guard could react and offer their babysitter services, I gave Hershey to Esme, and then touched Aro. It didn't last too long, barely a minute, and then Aro spoke.

"So you went to that place... against her will?"

"Well, um, I-"

"She had told you to wait until after the birth, but you insisted... Interesting. And when the illness came, there was nothing you could do."

"I, er-"

"And then you chose her over the child, preferring to keep the pleasure she gives you, even when you knew that the loss of her baby would destroy her. Nice, Jasper."

By that moment I was morally shattered. But then, before I could reason and think of a proper answer, my wife intervened.

"It wasn't his fault. He was only thinking about my well-being when he suggested going to the cottage. What happened there –it was something no one could control, and that certainly no one wished to happen. He did everything he could to help me. And if he chose me over Leo... well, he had to choose someone. He picked me because he loved me. In the end, we both survived. I'm proud of my husband. I don't regret anything he did." God, I love this woman. I truly do not deserve her.

"Well, well, well, Alice," laughed Aro, "seems you already have the Cullen defensiveness. But I was not accusing your husband, not at all, I was just enlisting the facts. Forgive me if I offended you. Now, come forward and let us meet that little angel."

It took all of Alice's willpower to take the five steps that separated her from Aro. She stood right next to me, and I put an arm around her shoulders while she opened the blue blanket.

"This is our son, Leo."

Aro looked at him, almost moved, but in fact he was evaluating our baby's future potential.

"My, my, isn't he gorgeous. He looks a lot like you, Jasper. I suppose that now you are glad Carlisle did not have to follow the choice you made."

"Absolutely," I said, for lack of a better answer.

"Good. And, from what I saw, this little boy has a latent power that could rivalize with... Alec's? That will be interesting to see."

"We're not sure," said Alice, a soft tint of fear in her voice and emotions. "We'll have to wait, won't we?"

"Do not panic, Alice, honey. I will not hurt your children, ever. I could not bear to cause you such pain. And to hurt kids like these..." he shook his head, as if that was something he'd never even think of.

"May I?" asked a soft, babyish voice. I didn't have to look to know it was Jane who spoke, but then I did look, and saw her arms held out for Leo. It obviously wasn't a question. Alice took a breath and left him in Jane's arms.

"I so like babies..." she said in a slow, quiet whisper, and , to my surprise, it was sincere.

Aro's eyes followed Jane as she took a few steps back, cooing Leo, and then returned to us.

"You have got what you wanted, Alice. You once said you wanted to have another child before being changed. Now you have it. You have accomplished your duty as wife and given your husband an heir. It is time to move on. So... Jasper, will you turn your wife into a vampire?"

I spoke slowly, trying to control myself. "Yes, Aro. I will."

"Sure?"

"Yes. I swear I will turn Alice into a vampire."

"Perfect, then... Do it. Right now."

"_What!_" I gasped. Alice took my hand and squeezed it hard. Even she was terrified.

"Yes. If you so swear you will change her, then do it here and now."

"No!"

"Why not? Were you lying when you promised you would transform her?"

"No, but-"

"No ifs or buts, Jasper. Change her right now. Or... should I do it myself?"

There was the loudest silence ever while I looked from Alice, terrified but calm, to our children, unaware of what was truly happening, to my family, whose faces were completely empty. And I took too long. A second too long. Before I could know what was happening Aro had taken Alice in his arms. I tried to jump and separate them but Jane knocked me down with her powers. She took Emmett and Edward as well, all the while humming a lullaby to Leo and rocking him. Now Rosalie wouldn't move in fear for her Emmett; Bella, human and pregnant, meant no danger at all, and Jane only had to _look_ at Carlisle to ensure Esme wouldn't move an inch. By the time the little demon stopped playing Alec, Felix and Demetri were pinning Edward, Emmett, and myself to the floor.

I looked up, struggling for freedom. Aro had been waiting until I could perfectly see what he would do to her. One arm was around her shoulders, and with that hand he brushed her hair away from her neck and moved her head to the side. The other hand had been pressing her body against his, and now moved up, taking its time to caress her back, and then pulled down the sweater, leaving her neck completely exposed. She didn't struggle, she didn't say a word; she knew they had us all. She breathed fast, though, and Aro could probably feel her heart thundering against his chest. No one moved. No one else breathed. Aro smiled cruelly and bent forward.

I had prepared myself to see his teeth sink in her soft skin, to hear her cry of pain as he bit her and then her screams as the venom started running. Yet my shock and anger were worse when he moved past her neck and kissed her fully on the mouth. This, according to what Edward had told me and what I had felt myself, was Aro's strongest desire, what maddened him about her. A kiss. Now he had it, stolen, but he had it. The only thing I could think in that moment was_ why does everybody want to kiss her?_ I'd seen Jacob doing it, and felt many men before and after that aching to do it. _Why? _

One hand grasped a handful of her hair and the other returned to the small of her lower back. It lasted endless, torturing seconds. I sensed Alice's feelings and she would have preferred to be bitten than kissed, a thousand times. Just when I thought that either Alice or I would faint, Aro broke the kiss. He gestured with his head at his guard, and they let us all go. I was on my feet at once. Aro smiled at me, and threw my wife to my arms. I held her as tightly as I could.

"Give them their son back, Jane," he commanded. The girl obeyed and her master turned to us once more. "Make this the last time we see her human, Jasper. Next, a kiss won't be enough. Edward, don't take too long either."

And then, just like that, they left.

**Wait! It isn't over yet. People, this August 19 we'll be celebrating a year of The Chronicles. A YEAR. Can you believe it? I started with a hopeless shot, thinking no one would ever read it. A shot whose thirtieth chapter you've just read. Interesting, huh? To celebrate, I want you to let me know about anything you want, any scene, shot, a Fan Fiction of the Fan Fiction, that you'd like to read. Tell me:**

**1.- what you want. Some details and particular wishes.**

**2.- rating. Any rating.**

**3.- if you want it published or sent personally (if so, add your email adress too).**

**The ones that will be published, depending on the story, will appear either here in The Chronicles or as an individual shot. Who knows, maybe in a year I'll be posting chapter 30 of one of those.**

**Now, this is optional, but I'd really appreciate it.**

**Let me know!**

**XOXO**


	32. Kiss Me Goodbye

**Hello, guys. Stupid me, I never thanked xXMythical-Midnight-SunXx and Musiclover09 for suggesting Leo and Jackson, respectively. Love you !**

**Hey, people, I NEED you to review, ok? NEED. I might have lost some people thanks to my pen name change, so please, review this chapter so I can see who's here and who I must notify, ok? PLEASE.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Kiss me goodbye**

As soon as we are inside the house Jasper lets out a scream of fury. Immediately after that, he holds me tight.

"I'm so sorry. Forgive me for not having been able to defend you. I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault. If you had tried to do something it would have been worse for everybody."

"She's right, son," says Carlisle. "You did everything you could."

We all sit on the sofas and begin discussing our next move.

"I think we have no other option for me," I say. "I have to be changed."

"No!" says Jasper, desperated. "Not now. Not like that."

"Do you have a better idea?"

"We... we could..."

"Jazz, please. They'll be back any moment and then-"

"We'll fight! We'll do anything, we..."

"Jazz! Listen. There. Is. No. Other. Option. You heard what Aro said, that next time a kiss wouldn't be enough. What do you want, wait until he keeps his promise? What if he..." I trail off. I can't even let myself think of what would happen then. It was disgusting enough to feel his lips on mine, I don't want to imagine if...

"Jasper, brother, listen to Alice. You don't want to risk her again, do you? Besides, how bad can it be, to turn her into a vampire?"

"Edward, you of all should understand me," says my husband, looking at Bella.

"I do, and that's why I say this. Bella and I have talked about this. We're just waiting for our babies to be born."

"Aro was kind of right," adds Rosalie. "You already have a family. Alice has had the chance of giving you these two children, one of each, to make it better. What else do you want? Changing her will make her stronger, more resistant. It's the best."

Jasper sighs. "I'll find another way. We have time."

But that last statement proves wrong when a couple of days later we get a panicked call.

"They are here! Here! In our house!" her voice fills the room through the phone's loudspeaker.

"We know, Carmen, and we offer our apologies for not alerting you before. But I don't think you need to fear so much"

"What are we supposed to do then, Carlisle? They say no one's accusing us, they don't mean to hurt us, yet they don't leave! Whaah!"

"Carmen, darling, calm down," Esme soothes her. "They were with us before. I'm sure they're only touring the zone. Don't be afraid. They'll leave soon."

We start hearing from other friends after that. Apparently the Volturi _are_ touring the area, many covens and even some nomads have got a surprise visit with no reason at all. This only confirms our unspoken suspicions: we are being watched. The Volturi are going around just to keep us under their eyes. Now's the moment.

"April 14. The day after Hershey's first birthday. Then at least I'll get to be with her at her party."

"That's in two weeks," says Carlisle. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

We decide that Jasper will be the one to do it, under Carlisle's guidance and supervision. Everything should be fine. While we make plans Jasper and I curl on our bed, my head on his chest and his fingertips softly stroking my hair and back.

"At least I'm still on maternity leave, so no one will miss me. I don't have to say anything at all."

"That's not true. There's someone who should get an explanation of why he sees you different, if he sees you again at all."

I look at him, puzzled. "Who?"

"Jacob."

"Jacob?" since when my husband cares about him?

"Yes. Listen, I know this sound strange to you. But, well, I know you like him, it would hurt you to just disappear. And he... he still loves you, you know? And he's lost you many times, but never so definitely than now. I think the boy deserves to know."

"You mean, tell him all the truth?"

"Not exactly. For his own safety he must stay in the dark. But you can see him, let him see you, and tell him that you'll be gone for a while, that you don't know when you'll be back, if you're back. Let him know that if you meet again you'll be a little different, but not totally changed. You'll be the same, only prettier," he kisses the top of my head.

"Are you sure?" this still sound too unbelievable.

"Yes." He smiles when he sees I don't believe him. "I want you to be happy, and to start this new life the best possible. I know that for that you need to know he'll be fine. And I know you love me."

"So you're not jealous anymore?"

"Oh, of course I am. But there will always be men who like you, men who, like Jacob, fall in love with you, and I must learn to live with that. In the end the only thing I need to know is that I still have your love."

"Always," I say, kissing his lips.

I call Jacob, and once he gets over the surprise of knowing that it was Jasper who suggested this we decide that he'll pick me up, so he can meet Leo, too. When I hang up I feel much better.

"See, love? This is really helping you."

"I know. Thanks."

"You know what? You should get him a present. A detail, just to cheer him up."

"What do you suggest?"

"Well, when Edward followed him he found out that-"

"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean, Edward followed him?"

"Oh. That. Well, you see, um... When he showed interest for you I had Edward do a little research; he could surveill Jacob's activities as well as his thoughts. And he saw that hideous car the boy drives."

"Jacob's car is _not_ hideous."

"Well, according to Jacob himself, it is. He's trying to save money to buy a new one, but it will take him a lifetime. Therefore... what if we get him one? A nice little car so he's not ashamed of driving that old thing."

"_Are you serious?_"

"Absolutely. Let's do something. I'll buy the car. Jacob picks you up, you go with him, and meanwhile I'll drive the gift to his door. Sound good?"

I can only nod, still amazed at Jasper's sudden generosity.

Ok, so two days later Jacob is in our house.

"Hello, gorgeous," he hugs me. "Look at you! You look amazing. Oh, hi, Jasper."

"Welcome, Jacob." He actually manages a smile.

"So... where are you taking her?"

"Um... I was thinking... she doesn't know my house, so maybe we could organize something there. If that's ok with you, of course," he adds quickly.

"As long as she's safe I have no problems. Go have fun, darling." He kisses my forehead and whispers in my ear "I'm taking care of the surprise."

Jacob's house is a cozy place, small but beautiful. It's his own house, an inheritance of his mother that allows him to be independent of his father and siblings. I know what it feels like, the freedom of having your own place, and it's wonderful.

"It's so nice in here," I say, sitting on a sofa.

"Yeah, I like it, too. You're welcome whenever you want."

We order a pizza and end up eating on the floor. I must try to stay as civil as possible when I'm a newborn, so I can get to enjoy more days like this. Now that I have Jasper's permission and approval the whole thing changes, and it's completely easy and simple to enjoy this relationship. After a couple of hours of chat and laughter he says,

"Alice, why don't you tell me exactly what you need me to know?" When I don't answer he adds. "Hon, it's obvious. You didn't call me just because. Your husband would have never agreed on his for nothing. You're dying to tell me something, so just... spill."

Ah, he knows me inside out... "Well, Jacob, I ... I've come to say goodbye."

"What do you mean, goodbye?"

"Yes. You see, it... it's complicated. I'll be gone for a while, and I don't know when we'll meet again. _If_ we meet again."

"Why wouldn't we?"

"Things... things will have changed, Jake. A lot. And maybe it won't be safe for you to be with me. I'll try to make it work, but I can't promise you anything. That's why I needed to see you once more."

He won't meet my eyes. After a while he says,

"It's him, right? Your husband. He's taking you away. But listen, Alice, even if he takes you to another planet he won't be able to change the way I feel for you and-"

"Stop, Jacob. You have it all wrong. It was Jasper himself who suggested that I called you. We're not going anywhere. At least, if everything turns out fine, we aren't."

"Why don't you stop all this crap and tell me exactly what's going on?" he sounds angry now, his muscles are tense and his eyes are hard. "Why such secrecy? What's all this goodbye but not goodbye thing?"

"Jacob, please, don't do this. There's nothing I would love more than telling you the whole story, but I can't. I'd be risking you. You could even die, and I don't want that."

"If you don't want me to die then why are you here? Don't you realize you've been killing me little by little all this time. The first day I saw you. I barely had time to be dazed by how beautiful you are when I saw that huge diamond in your finger. And then that you were pregnant. Those were the first blows. Then came all the others: meeting your daughter, seeing how he kissed you whenever he drove you to work, knowing that every night he touches you and –argh! Your second pregnancy. And, of course, the day you decided to take me away from your life. The time I, in desperation, decided to tell you I was madly in love with you. The time I got the courage to kiss you. But then you shouted at me that you didn't love me, that you never wanted to see me again. Now this. What's your game?"

"Jacob," I sigh quietly.

"Alice, what...? No, wait! Don't, Alice, don't cry. Don't cry, darling." He puts his arms around me and I start sobbing, my face buried in his chest. "Forgive me, sweetheart, I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have said that. I'm a stupid. Forgive me, forgive me."

"No, Jacob, you're right. I'm a monster. I deserved to hear everything you said. I know I'm hurting you, but I can't help it. All this is just as painful for me as it is for you, believe me. But I'd give anything to save you this suffering. You forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive, baby. After all, I'm the one who loves you. That's entirely my fault."

Next thing I know he's crying, too. We hold each other tight and cry together for a while. After a long time we've finally cried our hearts out. Our eyes meet and we wipe the tears from each other's face. We smile at the same time.

"I'll do everything I can to see you again, I promise. And then I'll tell you everything, no secrets. Jasper says it won't be so hard. He trusts me. And, though I don't deserve it, I ask you to trust me, too."

"Always, honey. Always," he cooes.

And then it just happens. We're close, very close, I can feel the warmth of his body irradiating to mine. He strokes my hair and face. He leans forward and so do I, too. Closer. Closer. We kiss. It's absolutely like nothing I've ever experienced before. So unlike that kiss he once stole, and so, so, so, so unllike that thing Aro did to me. So different from Jasper, too. I couldn't tell you which one is better, it would be like comparing fire to ice, day to night. I love Jasper more than my own life, without him there wouldn't be life at all. His lips are fresh, sweet, delicious, ardent in their coldness, always eager but careful. He was my first kiss, my first man, my first and only love. But Jacob... For one thing, he isn't being the slightest careful. He has the same roughness, the same yearning intensity of that other day, he's fierce, passionate. He grabs a handful of my hair and pulls it; I'd be crying in pain if I didn't like it so much. He holds me tight, securing me to this place, to this moment. His lips are cracked, but they feel so nice on mine... And the warmth. I'd never felt this warmth before, so complete, so comforting, that wraps me and gets under my skin, burning it the way I'd always dreamed without knowing it. I pull him even closer if possible, now addicted to the feeling of his lips, his tongue, his hands, his chest against mine, to hte feeling of all that is Jacob. I moan softly and in that moment he pulls away.

"There. That's what I wanted to hear." I look down, blushing. "It's ok, don't fret. It wasn't your fault. And, by the way, you're a great kisser. I guess we owe dear Jasper for that."

I nod, smiling. This was so wrong, but so good at the same time. I don't regret it. I can't regret it. It was something we both needed. He's on his feet now, and as he helps me up I get a glimpse of what's on the other side of his window: a Porsche, like mine but red, with a big blue ribbon on top. Yay.

"Jacob," I start. "Whatever happens, if we meet again or not, I want you to have a little something to think of me when you see it, ok?"

"Yes," he says slowly.

"Come outside, then."

I try to put my hands on his eyes, but give up since he's taller than Jasper, and I can't even reach my husband's shoulders, let alone Jacob's eyes. I just guide him through the door, to his new Porsche.

"Ta-da!" I sing.

"What?"

"_The car, you silly_."

"What with the car?"

"_It's yours!_"

He looks from the car to me. "It's a joke, right?"

"Nope. This Porsche is yours, Jake. Look, it's easy. This is my Porsche," because mine is parked right behind, "and this is your Porsche. Get it?"

"_Are you serious!_"

"Yes. Look, here are the keys. It's all yours."

"You truly... you are scary, you know?"

I raise my eyebrows. "You're welcome."

And suddenly he lifts me off the ground and spins me around. When he puts me back on the floor he pecks me on the cheek.

"Mind reader." _Um, my brother, actually_, I'm about to say, but no, better not confuse him more. He's gone from shocked and incredulous to utterly hysterical in two seconds. He gets in the car, pulling me with him. He drives his new car around the block with the look of purest joy in his eyes, an almost childlike pleasure. We laugh, no traces of our tears left now, and I swear to myself I'll make this newborn thing work.

I'm ready.


	33. One last time

**Hello, people! Hey, I'm curious, is there any boy, guy, man, male, etc., among you? Let me know, please. Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

One last time

When I get home I'm happy. I think I did the right thing. I find Jasper in his office, his back to me, focused on a call.

"Ja, ein Blumenstrau ," he's saying. A bouquet? "Der gro est, natürlich." And no less than _the biggest, naturally_. What is he planning? "Und die schönste Blumen, die Sie finden können. Die sind für jemand, das sehr wichtig für mich ist, und ich will, dass diese Person nur das beste bekommt." _And the prettiest flowers you can find. They are for someone who's very important for me, and I want this person to get only the very best. _

Flowers? For... who? I keep listening. He probably knows I'm here, but thinks I don't understand. Ho!

"Wie schnell wie möglich, bitte. Ich werde hier zu Hause sein, um auf der Blumenstrau zu warten. Danke." _As fast as possible, please. I'll be here at home, waiting for the bouquet. Thanks._ He hangs up.

I walk slowly toward him. He obviously has heard me, and maybe smelled me before that, but he doesn't turn around. I put my arms around his waist and say quietly,

"Also, wer sind die Blumen für?" _So, who are the flowers for?_

Now he turns around. He looks right into my eyes and smiles. He bends forward and murmurs in my ear. "Eine Frau. Schöner als alles anders. Sie ist der Sonne, der Himmel. Meine Frau." _A woman. Prettier than anything else. She's the sun, the sky. My wife._ "You're scary, chiquita, you know? You never stop surprising me."

He kisses my ear and goes all the way to my neck. He holds me tight and keeps kissing me while he pushes me toward the desk and sits me on it. His lips find mine. We kiss and kiss, but, abruptly, he stops. He's now sniffing instead of kissing –my hair, shoulders, collarbone.

"Darling, does Jacob have a dog?" he asks.

"Um... no. Why?"

"It's just that…" he inhales again. "Nothing, love. Don't worry. Now, where we we?"

And with his kisses he silences my confusion.

Days go by, faster than a vampire, and it's Hershey's first birthday. April 13. We have prepared a little party, because though she's still too young to fully get the whole celebration her birth is definitely something to celebrate.

"Remember I was with you?" says Emmett. "I had to carry you and take you to the hospital. And you just wouldn't stop screaming," he laughs.

"Hey, had that been you, and you had felt you were being cut in half, you would have screamed louder than I did."

"She's got that right," laughs Rosalie.

"Does it really hurt that much?" asks Bella. She's six months pregnant, but looks like she's twelve.

_Yes! _"Listen, Bella, what you have to keep in mind is that it's your baby there, your own little, pretty baby. With that all the pain is worth feeling."

"After all, it's nothing compared to the pain of the transformation," intervenes Esme, who has been through both experiences and knows what she's saying. I can't help feeling nervous, and a little scared. After all, this is my last day as a human. Tomorrow Jasper will turn me into a vampire and I'll finally join the immortal forces. Therefore, the last thing I want is a reminder of what's waiting for me just tomorrow. Jasper, feeling my distress, kisses the top of my head and does his best to soothe me. Instead of what I'll be getting tomorrow, I focus on Hershey's beautiful birthday presents: tons of dolls, pretty dresses from Rosalie, a beautiful music box from Edward, a breathtaking assortment of toys, clothes and accessories, and even a small pony from Carlisle. And that's only the gifts from the family; there's another pile of stuff from friends and workmates, such as the people at Carlisle's hospital, the ones from Jasper's company and my magazine. My daughter's blue eyes dart everywhere, not knowing where to look in the middle of the endless stream of pretty things.

"These are all for you, sweetie," says Edward while he reveals a gorgeous white teddy bear. "You don't have to share _at all_." Hershey looks at him, then at her brother, and starts clapping.

"Yeah, it worried her," explains our brother. "She was thinking that maybe some of these were for Leo."

Jasper's POV

Ah. Yes, they still have issues with each other, these babies. Sweet children of mine. But Leo is asleep in Esme's arms and Hershey is playing with the bear Edward just gave her, so I think they'll survive. The one whose life I'm not sure of is Alice. I mean, she insists on me being the one to change her, and though I know Carlisle will be asisting me I'm still scared to death. What if I can't stop? What if, despite Carlisle's presence, I can't control myself and hurt her? I've already told her this, suggested to ask someone else, but she just won't listen. She says she wants to be tied to me in all possible ways, and she knows that among our kind there's no stronger bond than the blood-venom one. Perhaps the one between mates, but she's already got it. So, though I'm scared and she's scared (her reaction to Esme's words gave her away despite all her efforts), we're still doing this.

When the party ends they all hug her, knowing that for most of them this is the last time they see her human.

"You'll be dazzling, little sister, and so strong and fast... You'll see it's worth it." assures Emmett while he lifts her off the ground to kiss her cheek.

"Carlisle has designed a way to do this that will make it faster," Esme tells her. "He hasn't had the chance to try it on someone, but I'm sure it will work." Dear Esme, always so confident about her husband. Best is, she's always right.

"And you'll be so pretty..." says Rosalie. "Yes, Jazz, I know what you're going to say, that she's already amazing and that she can't get any prettier, but you'll see how I'm right."

I laugh. She knows me so well. After all, we're twins, we shared a womb during nine months; I guess she had more than enough time to really understand me.

With such comforting words we go home. Hershey, too, is asleep now. We left most of the gifts in the big house, it will take Emmett, Edward and me to bring them here, not because of the weight, but of the volume and quantity. We put the children to bed in each of their nurseries (Hershey was totally stubborn about not sharing even her room) and go to our room. During these two weeks I've been making sure Alice eats and sleeps as much as possible, since she won't ever get another chance. But for her last human night she has a different idea.

"Jazz, love, could we, you know... be together?"

"You mean as in..." I look toward the bed.

She nods. "One last time, while I'm still warm and soft. While I'm still the same. I don't know what I will be like in three days. I want us to enjoy this one more time."

She barely has time to finish her words before I start kissing her. This was something I'd though of, too, but was afraid to suggest because I thought she'd want to rest and prepare herself. But we're on the same channel, so atunned to each other that we share all our feelings and desires. Always. And she's right, I _will_ miss the warmth of her body and the incomparable softness of her skin. I guess she'll still be soft and warm after she's been changed, but it will be a different sensation, and never the same thing she lets me experience right now.

What starts as a tender and careful caress suddenly bursts in a desperate urgency that impossibly increases as we become more and more aware that this is a kind of last time for us. Of course, we'll have an eternity to continue loving each other, physically as well as emotionally, but it will be a whole new level, something totally different. So, we must get as much as possible from this, and oh yes, we do. I just can't get enough of her, and I know she feels exactly the same. She sighs my name and, boy, is she actually screaming? Good. I like it. If this is physical affection with a human, I can't even begin to imagine what this will become in three, four days.

Our fire only recedes with the first greeting of the sun. We look at each other, panting, and I kiss her softly before rolling to the side and allowing her to shower and get ready. It's going to be a long day.

Carlisle arrives. Good thing she's still upstairs, getting dressed, because she'd run away at the sight of the inside of Carlisle's doctor bag. I panic, too, but he explains calmly.

"We'll give her two options. Either the traditional way, which is, you bite her, or just having your venom injected into her veins," he points at a needle. "After she decides, no matter which option she picks, when the venom starts running I'll get more venom directly to her heart. I'll do that three or four times while the process is going." Even I am afraid of the needle that will do that job. And, also, you'll be permanently massaging her body so the venom runs faster."

"Why me? Can't I just, I don't know, um..."

"If you don't want to do it we can always call Jacob. I'm sure he'll be more than willing to rub her entire body over and over again until-"

"Ok, I'll do it, no problem." Carlisle laughs.

"Is there anything you can give her to stop the pain? Morphine, perhaps?"

"I tried that one with you and your sister, and you know it didn't work. No, son, I'm afraid it will have to do this way."

Alice comes downstairs. Carlisle explains the options to her and she goes for the traditional one. I can only guess that needle scared the hell out of her. We go out, to the garden. This was my petition, I wanted that the first things she saw with her new eyes were the red roses, our flowers. Carlisle moves a few yards away from us, guessing we need some time alone. She stands right in front of me, looking straight at my eyes.

"I know you can do this, Jazz. I trust you, and you need to trust yourself, too. You've been so brave and strong, and have been able to do things anyone else in your place would have been terrified of. Having the kids, for example. No one knew for sure how safe that was, but you took the risk. This... this is the best. For all of us. Everything is fine."

She stands on tiptoes and pulls my face down. She kisses me very softly. Our kiss gets sweeter and stronger, and soon everything I can think of is her lips on mine. Then I move and kiss her neck.

"I love you so much..." I whisper in her ear.

And then I bite her.


	34. Drops of fire

**Soccer match, Mexico vs. Spain, **_**the World Cup Winner**_**. Whyyyyy! They're gonna crush us ! Noooooo!**

**Ahem, sorry about that. And sorry, too, cuz last chapter I made a mistake my German teacher would murder me for if she knew. ****I wrote "Sie ist der Sonne, der Himmel...** **" ****(she'sthe sun, the sky). Wrong. It should have been "Sie ist DIE Sonne..." I mixed the articles. Oops! That said,**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

Drops of fire

Her skin is like butter, a soft, creamy texture that is easily cut by my razor teeth. She gasps quietly and throws her head back. Is she _enjoying_ this? Has she gone crazy? Crazy is what I feel like when her blood flows into my mouth. The hot, sweet liquid tastes of heaven, and it quenches my thirst in the most wonderful way. The relief as it falls through my throat is addictive; the only thing I can think of is drink it, drink it, drink it.

She collapses in my arms. I lay her on the ground and keep drinking. Out of the blue Carlisle is beside me, his hand on my shoulder.

"Son, stop. Enough."

Enough? Never! A bottomless ocean of her amazing blood wouldn't satisfy a thousandth of the thirst I'm feeling right now.

"Jasper! Stop! Now! Stop! You're killing her!"

Killing... her? Those two words make me come to my senses. No, I can't hurt her. I won't hurt her. In a second I jump ten feet away from her. I can still feel a few drops on my lips, and it takes all my willpower and my love of her not to run back and finish. Instead, I hold on to a tree and watch as Carlisle bites her wrists and ankles. He doesn't take a second in each bite; he's a professional.

Alice stirrs as the venom starts running.

"It's warm," she murmurs. "Warm."

"Don't worry, honey, it'll be over soon," Carlisle cooes soothingly.

"No... it's too... too much... it..." she begins to twist on the grass. A few moans escape her lips. Now I'm finally able to go kneel by her side and take her hand.

"Alice, baby? Be strong, love, be strong."

"It hurts," she whimpers.

"I know, sweetheart. But you can do this. If you could have two babies, you can totally go through this."

She doesn't answer anymore, too lost in the pain. She writhes and grits her teeth, and it's obvious she's doing everything she can not to scream. I attempt to help her with my abilities, but the venom is blocking them. I can do nothing. While I think of how to make this process easier Carlisle prepares the injections. A week ago he and I prepared some doses of my venom to inject it straight to her heart every six hours, more or less. He gives her the first dose and almost immediately her back arches and she can't help it anymore –she screams. She tries to hold it back, but that and other cries and growls of pain slip through her lips as she shakes and almost rolls completely on the ground. Every sound cuts into my heart and I desperately try to connect myself to her so, if I can't lessen her torment, at least I can share it.

"That won't help, son," says Carlisle. "It will only make both of you suffer, and that will make her feel bad when she recovers and finds out. If you want to help her, start the massages; the venom will run faster that way."

I do as told and rub her skin again and again. There's nothing romantic or sexy about it, believe me. I find no pleasure in running my hands all over my wife's body while knowing she's burning alive; more likely, seeing her moan and twist under my touch makes me feel I'm hurting her terribly. I try to distract myself from those thoughts.

"The kids?" I ask Carlisle.

"With Esme and Rosalie. They'll take good care of them, you know how they adore your children."

"Yeah. And..." think, think! "Um, do you think my Alice will be talented?"

"It's a quite strong possibility. You see, I've always found this girl a very... interesting character," he chuckles.

I smile, too. "How so?"

"She definitely isn't your average human. I'm still surprised by the wat she reacted to our nature. She doesn't see it as something bad, on the contrary, just look at her, she truly wanted it. she's much more mature that you would expect in a girl her age. She was nineteen when you met her, but her mind was much older. Also, there's the part of her 'I just know's. I must admit I share Aro's interest about it, and I'm very curious about how that will develop now; it will be interesting. So yes, I have faith in her potential talents."

I look at her, her pretty face, distorted by a pain that cannot be described. She's finally having her wish come true, isn't she? I pray for the best.

Alice's POV

I won't deny it, I did enjoy it when he bit me. Sound sick, I know. But I felt so intimately connected to him, a whole new dimension, a bond that was stronger than anything else in the world. But this...

I can feel the rush in my veins as the venom runs through them. Before this day, I prepared myself for years, so that when the moment came I could tolerate it. Only now I know that no preparation, no technique, no nothing, could have prepared me for this.

I'm expiating all my wrongdoing with the fire. It burns and burns and burns. Screams escape me. I want to howl, kick, shake. I don't because of Jazz. I know he's beside me. I could hear him before the fire reached my head. He's here. And the kids? Where are my babies? Rose and Esme, I guess. And Jake? I called him yesterday; he never answered. My thoughts are confused, erratical, random. The pain is way too strong. I can't focus on one train of thought.

It burns! Everytime I think it can't hurt more, it does. My very fingertips are on fire. I think -I think- I'm curling myself in a ball and screaming. Am I? I don't know. Sometimes I feel a slight pressure in different spots of my body. The pain increases there. And my chest. There are moments when the pain there becomes truly unbearable. I scream without shame or control. There's a rhythm to it. Hours? Seconds? Minutes? Days? I don't know.

A new wave of fire carries me away. I don't know who I am anymore.

I'm becoming a vampire.


	35. Desire

**Hello. This is a very special day for me. Today I celebrate a year of posting Fan Fiction here. I started with this one, _The Baby Chronicles_. Short after that, _Hope_ came to me, and is still alive nine months later. We're starting a new one, _The Witch Twins_, the product of an unbelieveably strong Alice-vision I had on Monday. We'll see how that goes.**

**I just want you to know that this year has been worth living thanks to you. Your support, your love, is the blood this vampire needs. You might have not been aware of this, but there were moments when your reviews were the only thing that kept me going. I've received beautiful words that have given me a whole new perspective. Nothing makes me happier than knowing I can make people happy with what I do. You truly have no idea of how very much I love you all. Thanks.**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Desire**

Two suns and two moons later she openes her eyes. It scares me, actually. She first arches and twists unnaturally, then her ruby gaze finds me.

"You're here," she pants. Her voice is honey and sugar, the prettiest sound ever.

She's so beautiful it's frightening. I know that she's still my Alice, the little girl I met years ago in that photo session, but she's hidden inside a beauty that's somehow wild and exotic, and a bit dangerous. She's too perfect to bear, every single piece of her amazing beyond compare. She gets to her feet, and her eyes mirror my look of amazement while her lips curl softly upwards. She looks at me up and down, examining me the same way I'm examining her. I touch her face. She touches mine.

"You are so beautiful..." we say at the same time, and giggle.

I touch her lips, even more tempting than before. She's an inch closer to me. Another one. And we kiss. It's our first kiss, for all I know. She's impossibly soft and warm, now that the scent of her blood is gone her perfume is the purest –flowers, stars and... chocolate? I love her. I hold her tighter than I'd ever hold her before, and thank heavens Edward isn't here to follow my train of thought.

"Ahem," we hear a throat-clearing. Carlisle. We separate, embarrased.

"Sorry to interrupt guys, but I need to see how Alice is doing."

"I think she's doing wonderfully," I say, surrounding her waist with my arms and kissing her just below the jaw. Bad idea. It just makes the naughty ideas stronger.

Carlisle smiles. "How do you feel, Alice?"

"Strange. Different. Everything is so... new. It's like I'd never seen the world before," she looks around herself.

"I know. It can be very confusing. The transformation?"

"Ugh," she winces delicately. "I'd rather not think about it."

I kiss her head and move to the rosebushes. I cut a flower. She runs to me. It's the first time she uses vampire speed; all she can do is look from the spot where she was to where she is now.

"How on Earth did I..." she starts.

"You're a vampire now, sweetie," I tell her.

"Right," she laughs.

All of a sudden the sun filters through the clouds, covering the garden... and her. If I thought she looked beautiful before, it was nothing. This... she's astonishing. Her skin throws thousands of multicolored rainbows, glistening so magically she could be mistaken for an angel. She contemplates her hands while I can't take my eyes off her diamond face. Carlisle is speechless, too, his expression more controlled than mine but dazed all the same.

"Wow," she murmurs.

The charm is only broken when the sun hides again. Carlisle reasumes his medical, head-of-the-family roll.

"Well, Alice, what do you want to do now? See your babies? Hunt?"

She turns to me, a strong current of desire flowing between us. That's what she wants to do. But there's something she _needs_ before.

"Hunt," she answers.

"Perfect," he says. "Jasper will go with you. Meanwhile I'll tell the others you're conscious and fine."

"Don't forget to tell them she's beautiful."

"I won't, son."

I take Alice's hand and attempt to run, but she stops me.

"I want to walk. I want to enjoy every single thing I couldn't really see before. Plus, I'm not psychologically ready to run yet. Let's walk, please."

We take our time, she touches almost everything she finds and stops every few seconds to admire more closely a flower or a bird, or a leaf. She seems more childlike than ever, as if she'd truly never seen the sun before; her eyes look like the red roses I gave her the first day I told her I loved her.

I teach her how to find elk and buck. She's just marvelled at her olfative and hearing capacities. We drain a couple of animals and I have the pleasure of seeing that my wife is a natural at this, that I can tell she was born for this life. She's impossibly beautiful, and charming, and while she drinks the animal's blood she couldn't look more sensual. She drinks with her body gracefully curved, her soft lips sucking without spilling a single drop. Once she's done I kneel behind her and hug her shoulders.

"And? What do you think of it?" I gesture toward

"Awesome. Not a thousandth as bad as I thought."

I kiss her cheek. It takes all my willpower -and probably hers- not to go further. But I want to wait till we're home, I want to give her a proper new first time. Right now she turns around and kisses my lips tenderly, once, twice, three times. She smiles. Then the wind blows.

She freezes first, then turns her head around like a whip. I recognize the scent at once and pin her to the ground in the exact second she tries to run.

"Please, let me go, please," she begs, torture in her voice. I hold her tighter. I won't let her anywhere near the humans we've just smelled. "Please," she implores again.

"Ssh, ssh, calm down, baby. Do not breathe. It's ok, love."

"No it's not. I want it. I need it. Please, let me go, Jasper, please, just this time. Let me go, I beg you."

"No."

"_Please_."

She's almost sobbing. It breaks my heart to hurt her this way. I hate to make her suffer. I know the pain she's in right now. It hurts me, too. I try to calm her with my power. She seems quieter.

"Alright, Jazz, I get it. I won't do anything, I promise. Let me go, honey."

Little by little I release her. She stands up carefully and slowly and... sets off running at top speed.

"Alice, no!"

I run after her, but, light and newborn, she's much too fast for me.

"Alice, stop! Alice!"

She keeps running and running. I can only hear her. I hear two quiet growls. Oh, no. Finally, I reach her. Two men lie on the ground, dead. Their necks are broken. Alice is on top of one, she bites into his neck and starts drinking his blood. She begins panting with the pleasure of it. That looks like anything but killing and vampire feeding.

"Alice," I say.

"So sorry," she mumbles, still drinking.

"Alice!"

"What! Take the other one, if you want." She tosses her hair away from her face to have better access to her victim.

"It's not that. Just... not his neck, Alice. His wrist." I personally pull her and offer his arm to her. Without a pause she bites the flesh. Better now. I know it's stupid of me to be jealous of a dead man, but the only man she'd ever been on top of with such enthusiasm is me, and if I'm not mistaken, that time we made a gorgeous baby girl. You understand my worry, don't you?

When she drains the first man -with the same spotless cleanliness as before- she instinctively moves to the second. I don't even try to stop her now, she looks so beautiful, so seductive, so _happy_, that I convince myself these men couldn't have found a better death than her. I content myself with watching her. When her thirst is more or less quenched she looks up and lets my open arms wrap around her.

"I'm so sorry," she says.

"Don't be, love. This... this is natural. You must not worry."

"I know, but these men... it wasn't their fault. I shouldn't have hurt them. At least it was fast, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. They didn't even know what hit them."

"Good. Our family will hate me for this."

"No, sweetheart, they won't. They all slipped at least once. Only Carlisle didn't, but, ah, Carlisle is a saint. Even Esme couldn't help it. My sister, Emmett, certainly Edward, myself, we all did it. Don't be scared, dear. Look, if it's too uncomfortable for you, we'll keep it a secret, ok?"

"Yes. A secret. Better that way. Let's go home now. I want to see our children."

When we arrive the whole family is reunited in our house. They're all delighted to meet the new Alice.

"Dearest Alice. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Esme. I'm happy to finally belong completely here."

"You've always been one of us, Al," says Edward.

"My turn!" roars Emmett. He takes Alice in his arms -they look like Max Steel hugging Polly Pocket- and spins her around. "I'm proud of you, little sister. Do you mind, Jasper?" before I can argue he presses his lips to hers. An innocent, fraternal kiss. Rosalie and Edward laugh.

"Here they are," says Esme, who during Emmett's little outburst fetched the kids.

"Aw, my babies!"

Alice hugs them. Hershey presses her little hand to her mom's face, in a totally new recognition. She smiles. Alice kisses her head before turning to our son. Leo doesn't fear her, either, how could he. He smiles, too. We all play with the children for a while and then, suddenly, the weirdest thing happens. Alice is laughing when her eyes unfocus. She leans forward, a stab of fear and confusion inside her. She's like lost, anywhere but here. At once everyone is with her, trying to help her and figure out what's going on. Only Edward and Carlisle remain in their places, serene and deep in thought. Finally, Alice comes back to reality.

"What happened, Alice?" asks Esme.

"I... I saw..."

Edward explains. "She saw Carlisle writing a note to the Volturi, notifying them of her change. Emmett and Rose going to the cinema. Me buying a- no, wait, that's a surprise. Esme visiting a museum."

We all look at each other. Esme breaks the silence. "I am restoring that museum. But I'll only visit it...in a couple of days."

"We're going to the cinema... but until tomorrow."

"She's talented," says Carlisle slowly.

All eyes turn to her, including mine. She's the most surprised of us all. "Talented? As in... I have powers?"

"Yes, Alice. You see the future. I have no idea of how that works, I've never seen something like that before, but you do. So fascinating... We must analize it thoroughly. It's probably very strong, because it showed since you were human. We must check it, we must..." he trails off.

"Wow," says Alice. "I would have never imagined it. But, Carlisle, do you mind if we... if we see that tomorrow? I- I need to digest all this. Please."

"Yes, honey, sure. I suppose you must be tired. Take your time to assimilate everything, and we'll talk when you're ready, ok?"

"Yes. Thank you so much."

Little by little, everyone leaves.

"Congrats, baby. Always knew you'd rock the world."

She laughs. "Thanks, Emmett."

He and Rosalie leave, whispering to each other and giggling while they throw furtive glances at Alice and me. I prefer not to pay attention to them. Finally, Carlisle and Esme's approach us.

"Let me know if you need anything," he says. "It takes a while to get used to this, and with your talent..."

"Don't worry, Carlisle. I'll be fine."

"After all, if there's any problem, she'll probably see it before it does come."

They laugh.

"Alice, dear, would you like us to take Hershey and Leo with us?" offers Esme. "I mean, um, it's your first night as a vampire, and, well, I suppose you'd like to, er, appreciate it fully."

Wow. Esme seems to be the only one who noticed that Alice doesn't need to digest anything at all, but craves something totally different.

"Yeah, Esme, sure. Take them."

Then we're alone.

"See this? I'm psychic," she says while we go upstairs.

"I'm so proud of you. I always knew you'd be special, darling." As we close the door of our room I ask her, "And, can you tell me if you see something about us?"

"Oh, sure, I can tell you, but I think you'll like it more if I _show_ it to you."

She smiles and stares at me. Her emotions suddenly go out of control. For the first time I believe she's a vampire, a newborn; her parted lips give her a totally wild appearance. She doesn't move an inch, but she's tense, as if she doesn't know where or how to start. I begin to fear for my life. She takes a step toward me, then another one. She takes my face in her hands and moves it to the side. She starts kissing my neck. Her feelings are driving us both crazy. She kisses me painfully slowly: neck, jaw, neck again. But all of a sudden I hear a ripping sound and realize it's my T-shirt.

"To the hell with being careful," she growls. "Now, Jasper. _Now!_"

I throw her to the bed and almost jump over her. This is going to be the best night of our lives.

**And please, do let me know when you get tired of this chronicles. I don't want them to become too much, too long. Love you!**


	36. The Unexpected

**The Unexpected**

It was a night gods would kill for. It was just fantastic. If when she was human I felt in heaven, this was beyond paradise. There wasn't anything that could stop us, not sleep, not hunger, not thirst. We were wrapped in a pleasure we could hardly believe it existed. When we finally came to our senses, it was only to realize we'd rolled off the bed and had destroyed a good part of the rug. That perceived, we abandoned ourselves again. We didn't know if it was hours, minutes, days, the only thing we could understand was that we were burning with a fire that kept us going and going nonstop. The world could have ended and we wouldn't have noticed.

We spent about a week either locked in our room or thinking about it. Edward was very helpful; he would get so intoxicated by our thoughts that he made sure we always got what we wanted as soon as possible. Then we kind of calmed down a little, little bit, and over the next few days we explored Alice's visions. As she grew used to them they became clearer and longer, soon she was able to focus and see exactly what she wanted.

"Weekly horoscope!" she sang on Monday morning. "Esme and Rose, go ahead with your plans, everything will be fine. Edward, listen to Bella, she knows what she's doing, trust her. Carlisle, you'd better not leave the hospital on Wednesday, because you'll be needed. I'm not sure, a fire, maybe? And Emmett, please, do not accept the arm-wrestling competition. You have no hopes of taking my Jasper down." With her last words she sat on the sofa and curled against me. I put my arms around her nad kissed her head.

"And what do you see for yourself?"

"Mm… it's a rather quiet week, but…"

"But?"

"I don't know. I can't see our weekend. Our Saturday. Anyone's. it's just… we're hanging out in the living room and then everything goes black. It's not bad, it's… weird."

"Well, don't worry, sweetie. You're new to this. You'll figure it out." I kissed the nape of her neck. She looked up and smiled at me.

"And, well, in other things-" she stopped abruptly. Her eyes remained unfocused. Edward tensed and I felt caution and fear in both my brother and my wife.

"Ok, not so quiet a week anymore," she announced.

"They're coming. To meet the new Alice," confirmed Edward.

No one needed to ask who 'they' were. Instead, we began to make plans.

"Don't worry, this doesn't affect anyone's routine. They'll come on Friday by dusk. And," she got another vision, "they'll bring gifts for me. I'm not sure, but they looked like jewels." Turning to Edward and Bella, she added. "Also, stuff for the kids, yours and ours. That's it until now."

We continued our week, Alice keeping a eye on anything else the Volturi might decide, but everything stayed pretty much the same. She seemed more worried about not being able to see the weekend. That fact seemed to annoy her no end. But, in a way, it turned out to be good for us, because she needed to relax, and her idea of relaxation always involved me and never involved clothes.

Ah, to tell the truth, in that particular area Alice was unstoppable and completely impossible to satisfy. Like the newborn she was, she still had to learn to find balance and establish her limits. Hard as I tried, I wasn't helping. I know, shame on me. But, honestly, what is there left to do when your beautiful, sexy wife surprise-visits you at your office? What can you do when, next thing you know, she's sitting on you, pinning you to the chair? Exactly. Surrender.

Anyway, love helped us to be focused and to have our six? seven? senses at their sharpest for Friday. He prediction was fulfilled with the utmost perfection, and under the twilight sun of Friday, we greeted the Volturi. They didn't bother asking for Bella or the children, all of whom were safely inside this time. They went straight fir their interest.

"Where is she? Where is Alice?"

"Here, Caius," she said, walking till she stood right in front of them.

"Wow," gasped Aro. "You are… you are…" he just couldn't find a word. "Well, dazzling to put it mildly. I had bought you something, but now it will look like trinkets."

He waved his hand and Felix gave him two boxes. Aro took the first one and opened it. It was a diadem of gold with rubies. He crowned her with it.

"I thought it would look nice with your hair and your new eyes."

"Thank you, Aro," she murmured.

He wasn't in the slightest mistaken. She looked like a queen. He opened the second box to show her a pair of earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet, that seemed to belong to the same set as the diadem.

"Allow me," he said.

He put the earring and the necklace. On any other woman it would have looked like an excess of jewels, on Alice it looked like exactly what she deserved. Aro knew her too well. When he fastened the brooch of the bracelet he took her hand between his and Saw. He opened his eyes, and they looked in between frantic and mesmerized.

"You… are… _talented_," he choked out. This was the moment we'd all feared; such a power would certainly become Aro's greatest ambition. He already seemed intoxicated by the idea.

"Would you mind terribly," he said slowly, "if I talked to Alice in private?"

"Whatever you need to discuss, discuss it here," I couldn't help saying. "She will tell us everything, anyway."

Aro laughed. "There is no need to be so aggressive, dear Jasper. I mean your wife no harm. Plus, if I did, I am sure she would be perfectly able to see it, would you not, sweetheart?" he caressed her face. "Well, I guess it is better if you hear, because it also has to do with you. Alice, could you ever consider the possibility of joining us?"

The question threw us off. She looked totally perplexed. "What?"

"Yes, Alice. You must surely be conscious of your potential. This talent could reach so far… wonders could be done with it. But for that you need guidance, specialized assistance. We offer our help. Join us."

He looked at Alice so intensely that she stammered her answer. "I'd… I'd rather… my family's here, I couldn't… I couldn't…"

"Well, of course you would bring Jasper and your children along," said Caius. "Your husband is quite a gifted man himself, and we are sure the children will also prove to be special. Consider our offer. You will not regret coming with us."

Alice turned to me. She was giving me the place of head of our little family, and therefore leaving the choice to me. I held her hand and spoke.

"With all due respect, I think that my wife's abilities can be fully developed here. Let's not forget that we have Carlisle. He has trained talented newborns such as Edward and myself, as well as some others. You don't doubt his capacities, do you?"

Aro's lips moved slowly. "No. Of course we don't."

"There you go. So, for now, she'll stay under his counseling and protection. Believe me, I am the most interested on her well-being, she's my wife and mother to my children. If she ever has a problem, if we see that she's wasted here, the first thing we'll have in mind is this kind offer of yours. We truly appreciate it a lot."

"Well, in that case… do let us know. Alice," instinctively, Alice backed away when Aro tried to touch her; she remembered what had happened when he'd last got his hands on her. He laughed in response. "I will not touch you, my darling. Not now that you can very easily take me down."

That said, he walked the step Alice had put between them, took her by the shoulders, and kissed both her cheeks. The last words he said sounded almost fatherly.

"Welcome to eternity."

_Alice's POV_

Well, that visit went a lot better than I expected. I _was_ scared when Aro offered me to join them, because I felt it wasn't too much of an option, but it all turned out well. I saw no further presence for a while.

Jasper has been so wonderful -as always-, helping and tolerating me. Yes, I admit it, during these days, my first ones as a vampire, I had been more than difficult. Fist slipping, then harassing my husband. My need for him had dramatically increased; it seemed all our years before had never happened. With my new sharp senses and the amazing sensitiveness of my skin, everytime I cornered him felt like the very first one in our lives. But I can tell he enjoys it just as much as I do, and that's enough.

I've been seeing all my predictions become reality, which makes me extremely happy, but at the same time it intrigues me. I just can't help wondering how much truth there was in Aro's words when he said that my talent could reach very far.

Today is Saturday morning. This day makes me rather uncomfortable, because it's a major blank in my visions. In two weeks I've grown so used to this little power that I don't understand how I was able to live without it. That's why it really irritates me to be blind about today.

The few things I could see are now happening, and we're finally in the living room of Carlisle and Esme's, all the family together. This is where my vision disappears. A gentle breeze is blowing, bringing in the scent of the roses. Suddenly, I catch a new odour.

"Ew! It smells like dog!" ugh, it smells truly awful. I go to the window and try to see who's out there, to tell him to take his beautiful, stinking dog somewhere else. But before I'm on my feet, Esme stops me.

"Careful, Alice. It's not a dog."

I notice that the whole family is alert not, sniffing the surroundings, atent for sounds.

"What's the matter? What's wrong?"

"Alice, be very, very careful," cautions Jasper. "This is not a dog. This is a werewolf."

I've heard the stories a thousand times, so when I finally reach the window, I prepare myself to see a giant beast the size of a horse. But there's nothing out of place outside, just a Porsche, from which Jacob is coming out. That's perfectly normal, isn't it? It's only Jacob.

Or…?

**Yes, people, it is what you think, and no, before you ask, he's sooooo NOT imprinting on Hershey. Really, he's not. You should have heard me howl when the Jacob-Renesmee thing happened. So no, definitely not.**

**I know these Chronicles have been a little dark these weeks, but I promise that with this return we'll go back to the sweet, fluffy stuff. Promise.**

**See ya!**


	37. Chocolate

**Hi ! Please, don't waste your time asking me why this ****chapter is called 'Chocolate' cuz I honestly don't know. Sorry. Well, maybe cuz I'm obsessed with a song called precisely Chocolate: "Nuestro amor sabe a chocolate/ corazón de bombón que late" "Our love tastes of chocolate/ Marshmallow heart that beats." Yay! Like my beloved Lizzabird said, holy mother of cheesecake! Lol!...**

**Facebook lot, waiting for you! Find me as Michelle Lv, or with my email address, sxyvamp_witch, it's hotmail. Twitter lot, haven't checked my account since before summer holidays, but I promise I'll try. Find me with my e mail address cuz I truly don't remember my name there. Sorry.**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Chocolate**

If I didn't know those dark eyes so well, I'd swear this is Jacob's hidden, evil twin. Despite my family's attempts to stop me I go out and meet him. His hair, so handsomely short before, is now cropped militar-style. He seems to have grown in the three weeks I didn't see him, and I don't mean only his size, there's something in the way he moves, he walks, in the way he looks at us with fury, in the way his jaw tenses, that tells me this is a new Jacob.

"Jake…" I say softly while everyone else stands uncomfortably by my side.

Jacob's eyes focus on me, and his face, immensely furious two seconds ago, fills with horror.

"Not you…" he whispers. He's so angry his hands begin shaking.

"Careful, Jacob. You don't want to do that in front of her." Jasper's voice is cautious.

"Shut up, you bastard!" roars Jacob. "What have you done to her! You had no right!"

"You know everything, then."

"The only thing I know is that I hate you, and that I'd give anything to kill you right now!"

"Jacob-" I start, but he cuts me.

"So this is why you wanted to say goodbye, isn't it? You were going to become this! One of them! A filthy, repulsive bloodsucker!"

"Jacob! It's not what you think, it-"

"Don't bullshit me, Alice. I understand this too well. I wish I didn't. But I know what you are and I know you know what I am. You're a vampire."

"And you're a werewolf," I mumble.

Jacob nods. "Yes. That's what I am." He looks down, and I get a glimpse of the real Jacob, the sweet boy he was.

I take a step toward him. Jasper puts a hand on my arm but I shake him off. I stand in front of Jacob and lift a hand to touch his face. His skin feels like an open flame, hot, burning. He jumps at my touch.

"You're icy," he complains.

"You're hot."

"Wolf thing."

"Vampire thing." We smile. "Why?" I ask him. "What triggered this?"

"I'm not sure. Leah says it usually starts with a strong emotion."

"Leah? Your sister? Is she…"

"Yes. She's a wolf girl. For over a year. She must have had a hell of a time, all alone. She found me in my house, phased, mad with terror and confusion. She helped me phase back into human and explained everything to me. Apparently, it's been in the family for centuries."

"And when… when did this happen? Why didn't you try to contact me?"

"Well, you of all people weren't the best one to talk to in that moment, were you? As soon as Leah told me everything I knew what your family was. It happened almost right after you left. I can only guess the kiss began the process."

"The kiss? Which kiss?" inquires Jasper. Oops. I never told him anything about that part.

Jacob snickers. "So she didn't tell you? Doesn't trust you as much as you thought, does she? For your information, Jasper, the day Alice came to my house, the last time we saw each other as humans, when she gave me that Porsche, we kissed. I didn't force her, I didn't threaten her at all. She kissed me of her own free will, and I can tell you it was something we both enjoyed fully."

Jasper turns to me. "Alice?"

"It's true. I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. I thought it was the last time we'd see each other and I… let myself get carried away. But it was only a kiss, believe me. Please, I'm so sorry."

"Go inside the house and wait for me. We'll talk later."

"But, Jazz-"

"Do as I tell you, Alice. Esme, Rosalie, please go with her."

"Alice," whispers Rose. "Don't make this more difficult. Come, please."

I have no option but go with them. Esme doesn't even allow me to look out the window, so the only thing I can do is listen to the conversation outside.

"Is there any particular reason for this visit, Jacob?" asks Edward.

"I want to talk to your coven leader."

I hear someone take a step forward, I guess Carlisle.

"You. The respectable town doctor. Damn leech."

Esme hisses, and it's now me who stops her from going outside.

"Listen, Jacob," sounds Carlisle's soothing voice, "we do not mean you or your sister any harm. We have no reason to hurt you and do not wish to fight. I ask you to keep the same respect toward us so this relationship can work."

"Relationship? I don't want to have anything to do with any of you."

"Well, then, why are you here?"

"Our mission as werewolves is protecting the humans from your lot. And if we fail to do that, then it's our duty to avenge and repair the damage."

"So?"

"So what he has done to Alice won't remain unpunished."

"You seem to forget, Jacob, that Alice isn't human. There's nothing to punish."

"That's the problem! That she isn't human!"

"She chose this life," says Jasper. I know this tone. It means that he's furious but is trying his hardest to hide it.

"You! Don't even talk to me. You disgust me. How could you have hurt her so much?"

"Jacob, you know fully well that I would never, ever hurt Alice in any way."

"You already have! You seduced her! You made her marry you! You have enslaved her! God, you have fathered children with her! Do you have the slightest idea of how dangerous it was for her to bear your spawn? Or have you forgotten how she almost died giving birth to your son?"

I don't need to look at Jasper to see the shadow of pain that's crossing his face right now. I know that what happened with Leo kills him, that he feels horribly guilty for it. I hate Jacob for causing Jazz this suffering. And he still has more to say.

"Every time you've looked at her, every night you've touched her, every minute she spent carrying your kids, everything was an offense, a damage. I can't reverse it, I can't repair it, but I will certainly avenge it. You will pay for this, Jasper."

"Don't confuse the situations, Jacob. I know and understand your pack's duty. It's in your nature. But this you're complaining about is nothing but jealousy. You're angry because I have Alice and you don't. Because she chose me instead of you. But that happens every day in lots of lives. You have no reason to attack us."

"The hell I don't, you-"

We hear movement, cautious voices calling for control, feet digging on the ground. God, they were about to fight. Finally, Carlisle's quiet voice sounds above the others.

"My son is right, Jacob. The only thing you can do now is… well, try to get over Alice. At your age broken hearts are easily repaired. I'm sure you will soon find someone else, and who knows, maybe you'll even imprint. I'm sorry."

There's a moment of awfully loud silence. The men outside, us girls inside, no one says a word. Then I hear Jacob's footsteps, the door of his car, and the engine. He's gone. Our men come into the house, all four faces distressed and worried.

"Werewolves in the area. Again."

"Damn them! Let's just go crush them all!"

"Emmett."

"Sorry, Mom."

"This provocation won't stay like this. If they want war, war we'll give them," says Edward.

"Maybe that won't be necessary."

"It will, Rose. Jacob doesn't know about my powers, so I could see it all. There are more than just him and Leah, and they're all just as violent and battle-eager as he is. This will turn into a fight, an ugly one, sooner or later."

"I can't see them," I say, for it's the only thing I'm sure of right now.

"Of course not. They're not worthy of being in your visions."

"Esme!" exclaims Carlisle.

"Sorry, love. But I've never liked them. Too wild."

"Well," starts Jasper. "We'll try to work it out. But before that, could you excuse my wife and me for a second. There's something we need to talk about."

His face is stern. He's angry. Very, very angry. Oops. I'm in trouble.


	38. Immortal tears

**Ah, guys, guys, the first thing I say will definitely NOT HAPPEN, the first thi****ng everyone takes for granted. Again, JACOB WILL NEVER IMPRINT ON HERSHEY. NEVER, EVER, EVER! If last chapter was called 'Chocolate' it was because it was the only word I could think of. It has no hidden meanings, no secrets, no nothing, ok? Sheesh… Anyway, today it's two years since I read Twilight for the first time, and it's 12:03 am as I write this. Yay !**

**Enjoy !**

**XOXO**

**Immortal tears**

We fight. Horribly. It's one of our worst fights ever.

"How could you!" he shouts. "How could you betray me!"

"I didn't betray you! I just… I…"

"You what, uh, you what! Answer me!" he roars

"I… it was all an accident, I didn't want to, I-"

"You didn't want to? He forced you?"

"No, but-"

"Then? Then!"

"Jasper, you said you trusted me!"

"That was before I knew you'd been making out with someone else!"

"But I-"

"Nothing! You are my wife, and therefore you're tied to me."

"I'm your wife, not your car! I'm not tied to you! I'm, well, not a human being, but a person. You don't own me, ok? And if you only listened to me-"

"No! There's no excuse for what you did. And what, was it only a kiss? Bet it wasn't. Bet you went all the way and fu-"

"Shut up! You have no right to talk to me like that!"

"You had no right to cheat on me, either!"

"I didn't cheat on you!"

"Then how would you call what you did? See, see how you can't say anything? You know I'm right, of course you do! What else, Alice, what else have you done that I never found out about? Are those kids even mine?"

"No, Jasper, don't you dare! Doubt me all you want, but do not doubt our children."

"_You_ don't make me doubt everything!"

He runs his hands through his hair and kicks a chair, which crumbles under his strength.

"I thought… I thought you loved me," he says.

"I do!"

"Then why did you do that! I let you go to him because I thought you'd be faithful, you'd remember what we have together, what we are. But, instead, you… betrayed me."

"I didn't!"

"You did!"

"I didn't!"

"You did!"

"I d-"

He kisses me. It's a furious gesture, with his hands tightly grasping my head, his mouth fierce on mine. Before I realize I'm kissing him back, just as intensely. Our arms are securely holding each other, our bodies so pressed together they seem only one. I can hear our hitched breathing, feel his chest against mine as it moves quickly, feel everything that is him. Then he hugs me, leaning my face against his heart.

"Can you not see, you silly, foolish little girl, that you are everything to me? That if I lost you, no matter how, I would die? That you are my entire life?"

"Then why… why did you shout at me? Why did you accuse me?"

"Because I'm an idiot. Stupid excuse, I know. But it's true. I'm an idiot and a crazy jealous. It's just that it burns me to know that someone else has enjoyed you. That these lips," he brushes my mouth with his thumb, "these lips that had their first kiss with me, now belong to someone else as well."

"But that had already happened. And then Aro…"

"Not the same. Then I at least had someone to blame and punish. You saw it with Jacob that time. And I'll find a way to give Aro what he deserves for having touched you. But if you agree on it it's different. He didn't hurt you, on the contrary, he gave you what you wanted. And then the guilty one is me, because I didn't know how to provide it myself, or how to stop things before they happened. That's what I can't stand."

"Jasper," I say softly, stroking his cheek. He presses his face against my hand. "Jasper, I love you. And the only thing I'm totally sure of in this world is us. Us as a couple, us as a family. Nothing else but us. Do you think I would risk it, ever?"

"But then why did you do… that?" he looks at me with such wounded eyes that I feel I could cry again. I feel so horrible guilty…

"I truly don't know. And I'm so sorry. Please, please, forgive me. You're right in being angry with me, but I beg you to forgive me. It was a moment of weakness. I thought I would never see him again, and I never imagined that we would meet again, but as enemies. I wasn't a psychic then," he smiles softly. "I'm so, so sorry. Please, forgive me."

"Of course, love. Of course. Just… don't ever do that again. It's more than I can bear. And it kills me to be so horrible to you. I don't want to. I love you."

"I love you."

We kiss again, softly and tenderly this time. The fight is over. We lie on the bed for hours, clothes on, just curled up in each other's arms, caressing and kissing from time to time. This is my life, this is what I truly want. Jacob is now, well, not an enemy, but not what he used to be, either. Everything has changed. I'm officially over Jacob.

**Hello! Why do the end of my chapters always suck? That's something I've never been able to understand. Anyway, there's someone I want to thank with all my soul: Amy. Amy, Amy, Amy. Such enthusiasm puts the brightest star to shame. That goes for you too, Hayley, and you, Nancy, and all the Facebook lot. Amy, you're the sweetest, kindest person I've ever met, and we've only exchanged a few messages. But I can already notice that, and I felt I had to say all this in public, so everybody knew how amazing you are.**

**Done. Kisses for everybody. See you next week! And R-E-V-I-E-W-!-!-!**


	39. Invincible

**Hi ! I'm posting a ****little earlier than usual due to the five-day holiday my entire nation is taking because of the Independence Day. It's the oh-so-expected, oh-so-wonderful 200 Years Celebration. From Wednesday evening to Thursday noon the whole country will be eating, dancing, drinking, singing. We take Friday as well, and the weekend. We've been harassed with this thing since 2008, and the government has wasted so much money I'm not sure I like it, but, ah, any reason is good to celebrate and skip three days of school. So I'm taking part of all this parties. The break from school means I won't have access to Internet, anyway. But I didn't want to go intoxicate myself with food and music without leaving a new chapter; I didn't want to make you wait two weeks. **

**There will be parties all over the world, so you'll probably hear about them in your local news, wherever you are. If you have one in your city, go enjoy it!**

**VIVA MÉXICO !**

**XOXO**

**Invincible**

I got back to work a few days after the fight with Jasper. I had invented I was delicate after Leo's early birth so I could wait until I felt better with the whole being-a-vampire thing. Now, once more, I was using my son as a pretext, because I took him with me to the magazine, saying I wanted my workmates to meet him when in fact he was there to stop me from slipping again. Though, well, you'll hate me for this, but I felt no remorse at all for having fed on humans. I saw nothing wrong about it, on the contrary, it felt so right… Natural, what was meant to be. Of course, poor men, but I truly couldn't bring myself to regret it. Sorry.

Before leaving for the office, I looked once more for the future. It was only a confirmation of what I had seen earlier: nothing. Therefore, Jacob would be there. Great. Jasper insisted that I shouldn't go, but I told him I couldn't be hiding forever, and we'd be in public, so no matter how much he hated me now he wouldn't dare to hurt me in front of everyone. For his pack's own safety, he wouldn't. Eventually Jazz agreed with me, but still insisted on driving us to the magazine.

My plan worked. Everyone was fascinated by Leo -how could they not, he's just so perfect- and his presence kept me conscious and controlled. No one questioned my wearing sunglasses despite the cloudy morning, so I didn't need my prepared excuse of an infection in the eyes. Then Jacob arrived. He looked at me, and his expression was soft, almost the same as before, but when he noticed my son's presence his whole face was on fire. His hands balled into fists and I saw every single muscle tense under his t-shirt. He began trembling softly. I held my baby tighter against my chest.

It was awkward, sure, everyone noticed a change in me. I said it was nothing, perhaps maternity, or that my life was great in that moment. Jacob caught my words and narrowed his eyes. It was painful, too. There were about twenty people inside that place, seventeen of which were humans and smelled quite appetizing. I had been a vampire for only two months, and so I ended up locking myself in my office to escape temptation. Other than that, it felt really good to go back to the routine of my job, to do what I liked and to enjoy the pressure. After a couple of hours, however, I got a call.

"Hello, baby, it's Emmett."

"Hi, Em. What's up?"

"Our Bella is finally having her twins!"

"What! Isn't it too early?"

"Not really. July is round the corner, that means her nine months are up. Edward has just called, panicking, actually, and said she had started with contractions and they were on their way to the hospital. I think Jasper's almost there, Edward needed someone with experience in this babies thing. I'm taking Rose, do you want us to pick you up?"

"No, don't worry. You're closer, just go. I'll meet you there, I'm already leaving."

"Ok, then, see you here."

"Bye."

While I talked I put Leo in his pram and gathered my stuff. I went to look for my boss, but I couldn't find him, so I just shouted to the air,

"James, my sister-in-law is having her twins. I gotta go. The article you needed is on your desk."

"Sure, Alice, no problem," he answered, appearing out of nowhere.

"I'll escort her downstairs," said another voice.

"Jacob, thanks, but, um, I think that's not ne-"

"Surely you don't think I'll let a woman and her baby go without making sure they're perfectly safe."

"Jacob, really, that's-"

"So kind of you," cut me James. "Go with him, Alice, he's a good boy. See you later. And congratulations, for your sister-in-law."

Having no other option, I thanked him and left with Jacob. We got on the elevator and he waited a couple of floors before he began.

"Your sister-in-law."

"Yes. Edward's girlfriend."

He took a couple of breaths to steady himself. "So that's another human having a vampire's children."

"Jacob, don't start again."

"It's you who started. All of you."

"Stop this. Please. Why can't we be in peace? Why are you obsessed with fighting?"

The elevator doors opened. While we walked to the parking lot he continued.

"It's not an obsession, it's a necessity."

"It's not!"

"It is. There are rules of nature that mustn't be broken. Your clan did, and so it's our duty as werewolves to repair the damage."

"Duty! Damage! What does all that mean? It's stupid, Jacob, sheer idiocy."

"No, Alice. This is more important than you think. These kids," he pointed at Leo, who fortunately was sound asleep, "aren't the first ones. And those stories don't have happy endings."

"Why? Does something happen to them?"

"No. But they are a threat. They have the powers of both races, and so they become quite dangerous."

"That's nothing a good education can't fix, Jacob."

"When they're in good hands, maybe."

"What do you mean? That I can't take care of my children? That they're not in good hands when they're with their _mother_?"

"It's not you who worries me. It's him."

I sighed, exasperated. "Then you should just admit that you're not the world's protector, the savior of humankind, but a jealous, foolish boy. The true reason of your anger is that now that I'm a vampire there's no way I'll ever be with you. That I have a husband and children and a wonderful family that I'll never abandon. That's your problem, not all this nonsense about races and rules and laws. Grow up, Jake."

He looked at me with hatred, but didn't utter a word.

"Listen, Jacob, and pass on the message to your precious pack: Jasper and I adore our children, and are perfectly able to raise them so they don't become a 'threat', like you say. The same goes for Bella and Edward; right now she's giving birth to two kids that will be worshipped and perfectly educated in all ways. This isn't a clan, it's a family, and we know what we're doing. Which is more than what I can say about some others."

Jacob actually looked hurt and embarrassed. I was too angry to care. Without a last glance, I took my baby and drove to the hospital.

The mood there was absolutely festive. Even though we could hear Bella screaming we understood that it was just part of the process, and we knew everything would be fine. I found a space between the flowers and balloons and sat next to my husband.

"I remember when that was us in there," I said. "I was so scared, so sure I wouldn't make it, but you were there for me. You never let me down. And now…" each of us had a child in the arms, both babies asleep

"I know. I've been thinking about that a lot, too. It's just so… I don't know, for me, fast. Decades of nothing and suddenly bam! a wife, two kids, a family of my own. So much more than I thought I would ever have."

I let my head fall on his shoulder. He kissed my hair and then rested his cheek on it. Emmett stood up and walked past us. Suddenly, he slipped and almost fell to the floor. We all turned to him, incredulous that a vampire had just slipped in front of us.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Too much honey around here." He looked at us and we understood his joke. Everyone laughed. Jasper got on his feet and he was playfully punching Emmett when Edward stormed out of the delivery room.

"I'm father!" he cried at his loudest. "I'm father!"

We clapped and hugged him. He seemed out of his mind with joy and happiness.

"What are they?" asked Rosalie. "Boys? Girls?"

"One of each! A boy _and_ a girl! I have a son! And I have a daughter!"

We went into the room to congratulate Bella and meet the babies. She was exhausted, but also the happiest and most beautiful girl in the world.

"Have you seen my son? And my daughter?" she could have exploded with the pride of those words.

The kids were actually taking turns in everyone's arms. Since Hershey and Leo were also present things were a little complicated. But somehow our own children ended up with Emmett and Carlisle and Jasper I could finally hold our niece and nephew.

The same way Hershey looks like me and Leo is his father's living portrait, Bella and Edward's daughter was the exact copy of him –the green eyes he once had, the paleness, even the little hair she has is just as untidy as Edward's. The boy, on the other hand, was Bella in male. Everything from his chocolate eyes to his pink cheeks shouted 'Isabella Swan's son.'

"Congratulations, guys," said Jasper. "These kids are truly beautiful."

"Seems like the Cullen family puts a great effort when making its children," intervened Emmett.

Edward and Jasper punched him again, but he was right. My babies were made with the utmost care and love, that's why they're so perfect, so beautiful. Jasper and I put all of ourselves in them. I suppose that with Bella and Edward it was just the same, so much enthusiasm they got two in one time. That makes me happy. Us Cullens are strong. Us Cullens. Sounds so good, being a part of them, knowing that those two words include me.

The Cullens' numbers are growing. The Cullens are invincible.


	40. Caramel

**I'm baaaack! Sorry I took so long, I was waiting for something**** mildly interesting to come to my mind. Thanks for your patience, and please review.**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Caramel**

_Jasper's POV_

It had been a month since their birth and little Kristen and Robert couldn't be more charming. The entire family was absorbed in the care of my niece and nephew, and counting our own three-month-old Leo we had three newborn babies to look after. It was crazy, but wonderful at the same time.

Also, Alice and I were planning the celebration of our fourth anniversary. It was something for me to really think about, since now I couldn't please her with chocolates and nice restaurants, nor with spas and luxurious hotels, which is what I had done the other three years. It was easier for her because she had always known me with this nature, she knew how to please a vampire. However, my case was very different, I was facing a totally new woman, a creature I was just beginning to understand. What could I give her, then? Physical affection? But she made sure she got that every night, making me hunt more often than I used to in order to be at my best with her.

"What do you want for our anniversary?" I ended up asking.

"Oh, honey, don't worry about that. I don't really mind. For me it's enough to celebrate more and more anniversaries, forever and ever." And then her lips silenced mine.

I was left even more confused, without a single clue of what she would like. But then I didn't have time to worry about that anymore, because tragedy struck.

It didn't directly affect us, but it had a strong repercussion on me. During almost fifty years I'd been in charge of a company of my creation, a company that five years ago had won an award thanks to which I met Alice. And a week before our anniversary there was a fire in the main building due to an accident with some cables. The flames and the smoke could be seen from three blocks away, everything a tower of flames.

It spread so quickly there was nothing anyone could do. The economical loss was huge, but nothing compared to the colleagues that perished. It had all been so fast only a few were able to escape. Though the fire started early in the morning there were already quite a few people inside the building. Why? Because I had organized a meeting with everyone to discuss the new marketing strategies. So, who had fifty people go to the office? Me. And who arrived almost half an hour late because he was too comfortable playing in his wife's bed? Therefore, who survived? Me. Was it fair?

That was the question I couldn't stop asking myself while I ran to the flames, desperately trying to rescue my people. In a way, I had killed them all, from the ones in the meeting to the ones who had to be there every day to prepare the place for my arrival. To my relief, I did manage to save quite a few people. Yet…

As soon as I left everything as ordered as possible I ran home to hide like the coward I was. I went to our room, sat on the floor, next to the bed, and curled up in a ball of misery. I don't know how long I spent that way, minutes, hours, I truly have no idea. I couldn't think, I couldn't hear, I couldn't see. Guilt was eating me, and the impotence mixed in it didn't make it much better. I was so concentrated on being sad that I didn't hear the door, her voice, or her footsteps. Next thing I knew, she was kneeling beside me, pulling my head to her chest. I put my arms around her waist and wept like a child. Dry, vampire sobs shook my chest while her soft fingers stroked my hair. I could feel her nails gently scratching my scalp and for once she was the one influencing my mood.

"All those people," I whispered. "Because of me."

"No, darling," her voice was even quieter than mine. "Do not blame yourself. You never meant to hurt anyone. These accidents happen, that's the way things are. If there's anyone to blame, then it's me, because I insisted on you staying with me, I kept you here. It's my fault that I distracted you. And, also, I am the psychic, aren't I, I should have seen _something_, I should have been able to prevent it, somehow. You did everything you could. I'm so proud of you."

For the first time I looked up and met her eyes. They were still a little crimson, but they had already begun melting into caramel. There was love in them, as well as concern for me. I so didn't deserve her… I hugged her properly, feeling her tiny, tiny body disappear when wrapped by mine. She didn't let me go until I felt fine again. Then she moved behind me and began rubbing my shoulders and back. We both knew I didn't need it physically, but emotionally it did wonders. Her soft fingers traced the shape of my muscles and their pressure gave me the warmth I desperately needed and only she could provide.

For blissful, endless minutes she massaged me. I could feel myself distending under her loving touch. After a while she leaned forward. Slowly, her lips touched my neck, my ear, my jaw. Sensing her intentions I tilted my head and we kissed. I turned my torso so I could have better access to her sweet lips and placed a hand on the small of her back while I deepened the kiss. However, when she felt my fingers undoing the buttons of her blouse she stopped me.

"No, Jasper. This is not what you want right now. It is not what you need. Later, perhaps. But in this moment I just want you to relax."

I smiled. She knew me much better than I did. She accommodated herself on the rug, pulling me with her. We did nothing but kiss each other, only on the lips, and then I said five words that couldn't cover even a thousandth of what I felt for her.

"Thank you. I love you."

"So do I, darling. You're the most wonderful man I've ever met. And I hate to see you suffer for something you didn't control. I know who you are and what you're worth. I'm proud of having bore your children, of being the one you chose. I trust you, and will be here for you whenever you need me. And even when you don't, just to make sure you're fine."

She smiled at me and hugged me once more. When we left our house to go over to Carlisle and Esme's and heard our family's condolences and words of support I had an arm around my wife's shoulders and a clean conscience. We took our children with us -she had left them under Rosalie's care- and went home.

Later that day, we did… have intimacy, but it was only when she felt I was ready and wasn't using it as a way of escape. She went with me to the funerals, even wrote my speech. After a couple of days I was perfectly fine again and prepared for anything that might come.

Except maybe for one thing. It came from Hershey in the middle of the night.

"Papa."


	41. Sparks

**Hi there ! Yes, I totally owe you an explanation****, I know. You see, I was kidnapped by a band formed by Mr. Flu-Fever-Cough; Ladies Chinese, French, Spanish, German and History exams, and Mr. and Mrs. Diner Dash and Tetris. Actually, Mr. Flu-Fever-Cough hasn't quite let me go yet. I'm truly sorry, guys, I was very busy and terribly sick. I hated every day I could not write. I'm sorry.**

**Will you forgive me? *puppy eyes***

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Sparks**

"Papa."

I looked at my daughter, speechless, breathless, shocked. In that second Alice, who had been downstairs with Leo, stormed into the room.

"What. Was. That?"

"Mama," added Hershey as soon as she saw her.

I knew Alice's expression was a mirror of mine –shocked, exquisite bliss painted on her perfect features. But it took only a second for that surprise to turn into a beautiful smile, her radiant motherly pride making her glow. She somehow managed to take Hershey in her arms despite the fact that she was also carrying Leo and hugged her and covered her little head with kisses.

"I'm so proud of you! So, so, so proud!"

Hershey laughed with her gorgeous baby laughter and her brother tried to imitate her. We immediately left to visit our family and they were all marveled with our daughter's first words.

Our anniversary was the next day. Shame on me, I had absolutely no idea about what to do to celebrate. I was clueless. However, Alice being Alice, she had all the clues in the world. At exactly 00:00 she danced her way into my study.

"Today! Today, today, today!" she sang. "Turn around, dearest gentleman, I need a good picture of you."

I did as told and saw my wife wearing exactly the same clothes from the day we met –dark jeans, a white turtleneck sweater and an olive green jacket. In her hands she had her camera and I realized she meant to recreate the significant moments in our relationship. I rolled my eyes while the camera clicked and clicked and clicked. When I couldn't control myself anymore I pulled her to me and kissed her fully.

"That didn't happen that day," she said between giggles.

"No, but God knows I craved for it to happen."

"Really?" she asked, her smile now more nervous than simply happy. "You wanted me?"

"From the second you walked through that door, baby. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, thinking of you."

"Oh, come on."

"What? It's the truth. Alice, I fell in love with you since the first time I saw you. Now come here and kiss me again."

"Yes, sir!" she stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. Suddenly her eyes unfocused and when they were normal again she smiled. "Oh, great! Come, come with me."

She took my hand and led the way out of the study, to the garden. The mischievousness of her feelings was creating more and more suspicions inside me. I knew I could trust her, but now and then she had such ideas…

This one, however, was just incredible. Once we were outside she took out her phone and sent a message. Two seconds later the sky lit up with the most amazing fireworks, red and blue and golden and sliver, balls of light and sparks that made midnight look like the brightest of noons.

"Remember that night, Jasper?" she asked sweetly.

Of course I did. "That night I became the happiest man on Earth."

She giggled. "You proposed to me."

"And you said yes."

We watched the illuminated sky until the last spark extinguished. After that she really began replaying the best moments of our relationship, bit by bit. For moments she seemed more like a kid playing, darting around and having happy visions that made her even more enthusiastic. An aura of charm and joy was thickly and tightly wrapped around her, casting its essence to whoever was close to her. The childlike features disappeared at night, though, when she decided to replay the more intimate situations between us. I hate to say this so roughly, but she was just great at this kind of thing, there's just no other way to say it. There was never disappointment from either of us when we were together, physically speaking. With time we'd both improved and I was pleased to see that our marriage was full and satisfactory in all ways.

A couple of days later a minor crisis arose at her magazine and she was required. Since she was still worried about her self-control when surrounded by humans she took Leo with her. I used the time she'd spend working to go help Carlisle at the hospital. I'd never quite had the chance to put my medical degree to use, and it felt nice to work with my father. After a morning full of work we picked up the rest of the family from their different locations -pediatrician, museum, cinema- and headed to the Main House. Alice was still busy, so she'd arrive a bit later.

When we got home someone was there, waiting. A man in his twenties, bare-chested and with no shoes on. His skin was dark and smooth, muscles defined, with strength showing in every inch of his big structure. Suddenly, I was glad Alice wasn't here. But then I realized that he was werewolf to his deepest cell and I wasn't so jealous anymore. Alice totally detested werewolves. The moment he saw us he approached Carlisle. His feelings, though careful, were somehow friendly. He broke the silence.

"Good morning," he said. His voice was deep and soft, an accent I couldn't quite place.

"Good morning," answered Carlisle.

"I'm looking for Carlisle Cullen."

"It's me. You are…"

"Sam. I' m the alpha of Jacob's pack."

"Ah."

"Listen, I don't want to fight. I came to talk to you because I want us all to be in peace and I thought we should discuss a few points about the relationship between your family and ours."

"Welcome, then. Come in."

He walked slowly and cautiously. His emotions were wary; he probably expected us to attack him any moment. I sent a soothing wave in his direction. He quickly noticed it.

"Jacob didn't lie about your abilities, I see."

We sat down on the sofa and he began to talk. He was tired of all this fighting between the races, he said, he thought that since we had all been human once we could understand each other no matter what. I liked this guy, he was sincere, he truly wanted to come to an agreement between both species. I could tell that Carlisle and the rest of the family were convinced by his words and were willing to help. However, there was one tiny detail, one little something I didn't quite know if we could solve. Better said, someone. Sam turned to me as he referred to this someone.

"Please understand Jacob. He takes it all personal because he's in love with your wife. But, as I've just said, she's_ your_ wife. He needs to understand that and let me tell you that I'm on your side for anything you need. I really want Jacob to be himself again."

"We appreciate that, Sam. For your feelings I see you have already imprinted; then you understand the bond between Alice and I, for it's pretty much the same. I wouldn't be able to be without her, just the same way you wouldn't live without your girl. Maybe if… I don't know, if you tried to make Jacob go out more often; perhaps then he'd fall in love, even imprint. There's someone out there who was made especially for him, it's only a matter of finding Her."

"Mama," said Hershey suddenly. And yes, we could hear he car approaching. We both got on our feet to greet her as soon as she walked through the door, Leo in his arms.

"Question number one," she began immediately. "Does it have to be this awfully hot and sunny? I couldn't go _anywhere_! Evil sun. And question number two, why does it smell like dog in here?"

"Hello," greeted Sam. Alice looked at him and smiled softly, embarrassed. She looked down and bit her lip.

"Sorry," she said.

"Never mind. I do smell like a dog. My name is Sam, I'm with Jacob in the pack. You must be Alice."

"Yes."

"Nice to meet you. I'm the alpha of the pack. I came to talk to your husband because I think we have no need to fight perpetually. We were just discussing some options that can help us achieve some peace."

"Wow, I think it's a wonderful idea. Tell me about it."

She sat down and we exchanged children, she took Hershey and I took Leo. Sam looked at us and, curiously, he smiled.

"You have beautiful children," he said, looking at both ours and little Kristen and Robert.

"Thanks," smiled the girls. "Have you got any?" asked Bella.

Sam shook his head and his emotions became charged with sadness. "We can't. You see, I've already imprinted, but… but she's a werewolf, too, and because of her nature she…"

"Ah. Of course. Excuse my curiosity, but, is it Leah Black?"

"Yeah. Jake's sister. We both changed almost at the same time, and while helping each other the relationship developed. We first fell in love, then imprinted. But Leah can't have any kids right now, only until she manages to control her phasing."

"Well," said Alice comfortingly. "At least you're able to wait with her for that moment."

"Yeah." Sam sighed. Then he retold his ideas to Alice, who though unable to See an outcome fully supported the plan and offered her help. Sam didn't tell her anything about Jacob, for which I was grateful and I'd dare say she was, too. Jacob was still a delicate matter between us; even if she said she had got over him long ago I would never forget that kiss.

Hours went by while we chatted and planned. Next thing we knew, it was pitch dark. Sam had to leave because he needed to check the pack and be with his Leah -Jacob's sister, a red dot on my map-. We walked him to the door, he kissed Esme's hand and left.

Seems that, after all, peace isn't impossible.


	42. Burn

**Burn**

Our relationship with the werewolves slowly began to improve. It would take a while before we could really trust each other, but at least we were trying. I was still annoyed by the fact that I couldn't see them, and both my family and the pack were having problems with each other's smell, but other than that I'd dare say we were doing great in our way to friendship.

It seemed that Jacob and I had an undisscussed but mutual agreement of not talking whenever we met. If by any chance we had to work together we'd still use as few words as possible and we'd avoid all other kind of contact. It made our situation a bit awkward, but it was preferable to the arguments we had before. There was only one small exchange of harsh words. It happened one day when we were in the parking lot, getting in our Porsches. The policeman guarding the external door cut himself with a loose piece of glass and the faint scent of his blood hit me like a hurricane. I turned to my car, hiding my face in the glossy door and closed my eyes, trying not to breathe.

"Alice," I heard Jacob murmur behind me.

"I'm ok, don't worry. It'll pass."

"Look at me, Alice," he said. Since I didn't answer he took my arm and spun me around.

"Don't touch me."

"Then obey. Just… look at you. You're in agony. Was this what you wanted? What you desperately fought for?"

"That's none of your business."

"I'll take that as a no. See what you've done to yourself; hiding from the world, ashamed and scared. This isn't the girl I knew."

"For your information, I'm perfectly happy this way. I love my life. And, for your information, you've never known me, Jacob."

"Well, we can always solve that, you know."

"What are you saying?"

"We could still try to know each other. I'd be willing to."

"Are you aware of the nonsense you're saying, Jacob? I'm a vampire, you're a werewolf. We'd never have a chance."

"Who knows. I'd still take you, if you wanted me. I wouldn't mind the stench."

"Well, I would. Now get lost, Jacob Black."

I got in my car and drove away.

But besides this conflict, it was all fine. Without counting Jacob everything concerning the werewolves had improved greatly, which gave us hope for a future alliance. One of the best moments of this mutual approach was on a pretty September afternoon when we were all reunited at Carlisle and Esme's, playing with the four children. The doorbell rang. There was a normal heartbeat, so our visitor was human. I got the door and when I opened it I saw a boy, no older than twelve, standing there with a small basket in his hands.

"Hello," I said.

"Hi," he answered simply. He was rather tall, with brown skin and a hint of muscles hidden beneath his t-shirt. There was no need to wonder where he came from.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Joe Uley. I'm Sam's brother."

"Oh, I see. And, aren't you scared of coming here alone, Joe? Because we're a bunch of evil vampires, you know."

"I do. Mom told me all 'bout you. But I ain't scared of nothin'."

"Good," I said, barely repressing laughter. He was just so cute, with his torn jeans and his disastrous hair; with a smile sincere and innocent.

"And how can we help you, little friend?" said Emmett, coming to stand beside me and just as amused as I was.

"My cousin Emily sent me. She prepared a lot of strawberry jam and wanted to share some with you. I told her, 'Vamps eat no jam, they eat nothin' at all', but she insisted. Said your kids could have some."

"Well, that's very kind of her," said Carlisle, joining us as well. "And thank you for coming. You're a brave young man."

Joe's smile got even wider, he was glowing with pride.

"Tell your cousin," Carlisle continued, "that we have four babies that will be more than happy with this, and a human girl as well, so we really appreciate this detail."

Joe gave him the basket. "You can keep it," he said, "Emily makes 'em, too, she makes lots of things, my cousin."

"And what do _you_ do?" I asked.

"Um…"

"Are you up for arm-wrestling?" smiled Emmett. Ah, leave it to him… And judging by little Joe's radiant expression, I guessed he _was_ up for it.

"Get your mom's permission and bring all your savings. You're gonna lose!"

"We'll see!"

Emmett and Joe shook hands. Before my brother could anything else I took ten bucks out of my pocket and gave them to little Joe, who left in the pinnacle of happiness. The moment we all look at each other we burst out laughing.

"So cute!"

"I know!"

"Did you see how he smiled?"

"Aw, how could you convince him to try arm-wrestling?"

"Sweetie!"

So we indeed liked little Joe. Over the next few days he became a regular visitor thanks to Emmett and his arm-wrestling tournaments. Joe would often come with his sister Nicky, a pretty fifteen-year-old girl who was devoted to fashion and quickly became my pupil. They had another two sisters, but Kelly never felt quite comfortable with us and Fran was still too young. Nonetheless, it made us all really happy that their tribe felt safe enough to let them come over, and when Sam drove his siblings here or picked them up his eyes were truly friendly.

We decided to take a break from our duties to help these kids. And I say _help_ because we already knew they both had the werewolf DNA. Already there was some of Nicky's near future that was hidden to me. Therefore, we thought we could enjoy this interaction before they went through the difficult phasing process, the period of isolation while they got used to it, and the awkwardness in our relationship that would be inevitable forever after that.

After Emmett, I was Joe's second favorite because of Hershey. The boy seemed to have fallen hopelessly in love with her. I mean, in a cute way. He said that his sister Fran was more a meatball than a girl, and so he liked my daughter better, because though she was only a little over a year she was already more graceful and elegant. I totally agreed with that, and it made me more careful about our contact with Joe, for though I liked him a lot I would never consider a werewolf for my daughter, not even remotely, and that applied to Leo as well. But as long as Joe's interest for Hershey was that of his dream baby sister it was fine with me.

Actually, I was trying to help him sort things out with a girl from his reservation, Demetria. She was his age, belonged to his race and tribe, and seemed to have the hugest crush on him. The only problem was, he didn't return that interest.

"But why not? Is she this girl from the photo? I think she's quite pretty."

"Ugh! She's so ugly!"

"Why do you say that? She seems very nice."

"She's anything but. People at the rez say, she goes to therapy. Spent a while visiting doctors, that's what they say. And her friends are evil. They say evil things to other people with no reason at all. I ain't gonna date no girl like her."

I laughed. "Ah, Joey. But you still have time, darling. I'm sure you'll find the right girl someday."

"I have."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I meant I have that hope. Sure, I will."

Joe was cute and charming and so was his sister. They were thinking of starting a rock band and so Edward was helping them to organize themselves. Everything seemed to be going great until a visitor appeared in our house early one morning. It was a young girl I immediately recognized as Demetria thanks to the school photos Joe had showed me. She was even prettier face to face, but her nice features were distorted by anger. It was kind of scary to see someone so young in such a state, and for the first time I believed what Joe had said about therapies and doctors.

"I'm Demetria," she said. "And we need to talk."

**Hello, guys! ****R-E-V-I-E-W! I got like 2 reviews the other time. If you think I suck, please tell me, ok? I still need to know**

**Oh, and OMG, BREAKING DAWN FILMING HAS STARTEEEED ! I TOTALLY NEED THE DRESS KRISTEN WORE IN LAPA, SOO PERFECT !**

**Oops, sorry about that.**

**In other things, I suppose you've understood the undermessage of this chapter. I think the name hints were clear enough, weren't they? Now I'm going to talk about the Jashley situation and the triangle LoJoGree (Lovato-Jonas-Greene):**

**I suppose you've all heard of the situation we're facing in Twitter. In case you don't, for the last weeks Ashley has been terribly attacked by the Demi Lovato fans. They're calling her ugly names and bullying her in the cruelest way. Twilight Lexicon has said that cyberbullying is an act of cowardice, and I totally agree. Some other Twilight fan sites and Twilighters on their own (including this your vampire writer) are already reacting.**

**This attack should not (and will not) remain unpunished. I ask you, those of you who have a Twitter account, show your love and support for our Ashley. If you find a Coward Tweet, don't' be afraid to reply and show Demi's fans who rules here.**

**I've never approved of Jashley because I love Jackson and Kellan. In my opinion, Joe does not deserve Ashley; she's too much for him. But they were happy, and that's what counts. No one else has the right to intervene.**

**Let's just make clear to the world that Ashley is not alone, and show the world what Twilight fans are made of !**

**Well, 12:12am, gotta go!**

**War!**

**XOXO**


	43. Brief Session Of Enlightenment

**Brief ****Session of Enlightenment.**

"Sure, Demetria. Come in."

She walked into the living room, and I could perfectly see how she tried to hide that all the self-confidence she'd had when she knocked at our door had evaporated. I guess that for a first-timer our house could be quite… let's say imposing. We had never pretended to show off, but though we didn't swim in opulence we couldn't hide we were, ok, rich. I knew the reservation was rather modest, so I did my best to make sure Demetria didn't feel uncomfortable.

She sure was pretty. Slender, with nice, smooth brown skin and very expressive dark eyes. Her hair had a soft hint of chocolate and it fell in graceful waves down her back. She looked older that the twelve years Joe had said she was. Given that there were cases like Leah and Nicky I was almost sure that sooner or later Demetria would join the pack. And at the rate she seemed to be growing, it would be rather soon.

"Take a seat, Demetria. How can I help you?"

She examined me with piercing eyes, clearly not believing my good attitude. I began wondering what evil intentions could have taken her to our house and though I knew she was only a pre teenage human I couldn't help but cast a glance toward the ebony cot where my children were sleeping. Finally, Demetria sat down and spoke.

"I guess you know why I'm here."

"Um… no."

"Well, there are a few points I … we must talk about… discuss. I have come to talk about Joe."

"Joe. Right. What's the problem with him?"

"What's going on between the two of you?"

It took me a whole second to react to Demetria's question. "What- what- between… us? What on Earth do you mean? His brother is the leader of the pack, and he and the head of our family are trying to work together. Both werewolves and vampires are closer now, and we have developed a friendship with Sam's siblings. That's it. What else could be going on between Joe and me?"

"He loves you," she said simply.

"Loves me? Surely not! What he feels -if he feels something at all- is a mere crush. But I would doubt even that. He's here because he arm-wrestles with my brother and plays with my daughter, and because Nicky and I are friends. Other than that…"

"But you're giving him hopes."

"Hopes? No, of course not! Listen, Demetria, I'm a vampire, and he will soon be a werewolf. There's just no way there could be something else. Yes, he's cute. Yes, he's kind. Yes, he sings quite well. But…" I ran a hand through my finger, a bit exasperated. "It just… it just doesn't work that way. I'm happily married and have two babies, and I don't wish to change my life in the slightest.

Demetria and I looked at each other for a minute and then I asked the question that had been tickling my lips. "Don't you think you're too young to be worrying about these things, Demetria? You're what, twelve?"

"So? I'm old enough to know what I want and fight for it."

"Of course. I don't doubt that, honey, but I do want you to think this through. Is it really worth it? I mean, arguing, stressing yourself, the mortification? You're too young and too pretty to have a broken heart."

"Then help me."

"What do I have to do?"

"Just let Joe go."

"But, I have never claimed him!"

"He's in love with you!"

"Oh, come on. I'm ten years his senior. Ten long years."

"That doesn't make any difference for him."

"Well, it does for me, ok? Look, he visits our home because he sees my daughter as a baby sister. But Hershey is only a little over a year, and believe me, Demetria, I would never, ever risk my daughter for anything in the world. And while I'm too old for Joe, he in turn is too old for my child, almost a twelve-year gap. So you see, he doesn't have a chance with either of us. He's all yours."

In that moment the front door opened and Jasper appeared. From his wary steps I knew he had noticed Demetria and mistrusted her. I was then on red alert, wondering what he sensed in her emotions.

I quickly explained to him what the problem was, the jealousy this girl felt and her certainty of Joe's love. When I finished, Jasper burst in laughter.

"I see. All right, listen, Demetria, I am Alice's husband, Jasper. And I'm the most jealous man on Earth. Really, I am. If you have any doubts, go ask Jacob, he can tell you quite a few anecdotes. I don't know if they've told you, but I have the talent of sensing people's emotions, and I can guarantee you that the only feelings that flow between your guy and my wife are those of friendship. Besides, if for some illogical reason she felt attracted to a boy ten years younger and on his road to be her natural enemy, do you think I would let her go?" he wrapped his arms around my waist. "She is _mine_. Mine. Don't ever let a guy be as possessive with you as I am with my Alice, Demetria, please don't. Only dead will she leave me, and since she now is a vampire and therefore immortal, well, she'll stay with me forever. Now, look."

He got to his feet and went to the cot where our children were and picked Hershey up. She stirred, but didn't wake up. They looked so beautiful together! She was now totally like a baby bear, small, compact, warm, and with a permanent desire to either play or eat. Her black hair was longer, and had begun to take the shape of Jasper's curls, which made me very happy. Jasper sat next to Demetria and showed her the baby.

"This is Hershey. Our daughter. Look at her, half human, half vampire. She's only turned one in April, but she's smart; she can talk and will soon be walking. And as you can see, she's a beauty. If she were awake you'd see she's got her mom's eyes. Well," he chuckled, glancing at me, "Alice's eyes _used_ to be blue. But look at Hershey, her skin is so fresh, pale, soft. It has the purest baby scent and it gleams faintly under the sunlight. She was born perfect and has remained so, the most beautiful baby girl. Given all this, well, Demi, don't be mad at me, I have nothing against your race or your pack, but I'm sure my daughter can do better than a werewolf. She's my jewel, and as long as it is in my power I'll make sure she finds someone who at least belongs to her species. Neither my daughter nor my wife want anything from Joe, and if they did, I wouldn't allow it. So, take him. He's yours."

Demetria looked back and forth between all of us, now seeing the truth but refusing to believe it.

"You better hope what you say is true," she mumbled, and, just like that, she left.

Jasper sighed and placed Hershey back with her brother, then sat next to me and kissed me deeply and enthusiastically. After that he pulled my head to his lap and began idly rubbing circles over my scalp.

"I don't understand," I said after a while. "You acted so normal… you even laughed. The possibility of Joe feeling something for me didn't make you in the least angry. Why?" I clearly remembered other occasions, where he had made more of a scene for an irrelevant situation. Jazz looked at me and spoke quietly.

"They're just kids, Alice, both Demetria and Joe are nothing but confused, hormonal kids who have no idea of what they truly want in life. They're whimsical, and a bit blind. That's why I don't worry about all this; I know it will evaporate and then you and I will still be together. We're a solid couple, we've had a happy marriage and I see no reason why this situation with two children can do any real damage in our relationship. They are no threat, are they?"

His fingers moved from my head to my back and I sighed contently.

"No," I answered. "Of course they're not."

**Hello! How are you, dear ones? I've been hunting down Evil Tweets all week. I've found some that are just horrible and hurting. Ha, I replied to them before they were a minute old. Bunch of bitches. Pardon my language, but it's nothing but the truth. At least I have managed to make a couple of new friends thanks to the net of support and love that is being built around Ashley. Go Twilighters!**

**Now, some of you said you'd like to read Edward and Bella's story. You'll be pleased to find that I'm already working on it. It's just that I'm almost done with one of my series, **_**Hope**_**; as soon as it finishes I'll be devoted to the Belldward story and to **_**The Witch Twins**_**. Promise.**

**And last thing: one of my classmates is stubborn with the idea that you can be both an Ashley Greene fan and a Demi Lovato fan. I've told her a thousand times that that's more impossible than a werewolf and a vampire getting married and having triplets, but she just keeps saying that you can love our Princess and that b**ch at the same time. Any messages of enlightenment you'd like me to pass on? They would be greatly appreciated.**

**See ya!**

**XOXO**


	44. Sold Soul

**Sold Soul**

"Why does everyone always fall in love with me?"

"Mmh… why do you think?"

"I don't know! I honestly don't know!"

"Well, come closer and I'll tell you."

I did as told and cuddled closer to Jasper, wrapping us tighter inside the sheets. His arms secured me by the waist and his fingertips drew lazy patterns over my bare skin. Then he leaned forward and whispered very quietly in my ear.

"They fall in love with you because you're pretty. You're smart, witty, clever. You're funny without meaning to; you're spontaneous, natural, effortlessly charming. And, of course, you're damn sexy at all times.

"Am I?" I said, giggling at the ticklish sensation of his lips, which as he spoke brushed my skin –earlobe, neck, throat, shoulders…

"Yes. Impossibly sexier now that you've become a vampire. Men don't notice your change of species, but their hormones do. Silly as humans are, danger appeals to them, and instead of running away from you they find themselves terribly attracted to you. Did you know that I once overheard two of the partners of our company talking about me, and one of them couldn't quite remember me, so the other guy said, 'Remember the hot girl in a pink dress? Her husband is this Jasper,' and only then was the guy able to recall me?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Just so you get an idea."

"Wow. But, well, that's more, I don't know, desire. What I mean is love, like, love love."

"As in Jacob and Joe."

"Yes."

Ah, Joe. The point is, just a week earlier, Joe showed up. He came alone, which was surprising, and on a Monday at eleven am, when, if I'm not mistaken, he should have been at school. His cute little face was stern and in his eyes I saw a spark of determination I'd never seen before.

"Sorry I've come like this," he said, "but I need to tell you something."

"Sure, Joe. Come in."

We sat on a couch, side by side, and he stared right at me.

"Ok," he began. "So this is it. I've come to…um…" he looked down and took a breath. I waited until he felt confident and continued. "I want –I need to tell you that… uh… that I … IcametotellyouthatI'minlovewithyou!" he blurted out. Even as a vampire, sometimes one needs translations. Joe saw the doubt in my face and repeated, a bit slower. "I'm in love with you."

We both looked down. So Demetria was right. He did feel something. And not for Hershey, as I'd originally thought. The realization confused and worried me; this was a delicate situation where a young, innocent heart was involved and the last thing I wanted was to hurt it. More.

"Joe," I finally said. "I understand you, I really do. And I wish with all my heart that I could do something to help you. But-"

"Stop. I already know all that. I know that this is absurd and that I won't get anything, I do. But I needed you to know."

His young dark eyes were sad and I could easily see how much this was hurting him. In a desperate attempt to comfort him, I put a hand on his messy hair. He shook it off.

"Anyway. I wanted to tell you, and now I have. See ya later."

He stood up and just like that he left, a thousand years older than when he'd come in. When I searched for his immediate future to make sure he'd be ok, it was already gone.

And now, as I laid there with Jasper, I remembered this scene whose details I'd never fully described to my husband. The only facts he knew were that Joe had declared himself and that then he'd probably phased. It made me feel horrible to think of how I'd broken such a pure heart, and so I kept everything else to myself. I tried calling Joe's brother to know if he had phased, but no one ever answered. That only confirmed my suspicions, for I remembered that it had been the same with Jake, an unexplained disappearance that had changed him forever.

Anyway, shortly after that Jasper got a call from his company, requesting his presence in Abu Dhabi to close a contract and he had to leave while I looked after the children. I helped him arrange his schedule and meetings so that he didn't have to risk himself at daylight and then went with him to the airport. He would be gone for a week or so, but to me it seemed like centuries.

"Call me as soon as you get there," I asked him.

"Of course, love."

He kissed me softly on the lips and then turned around to get on the plane. Before I knew what I was doing, I caught the sleeve of his jacket, holding it fiercely.

"Alice, what is it?" he asked, concerned by the sudden change inside my emotions.

I had the uncontrollable urge of throwing myself into his arms and never let go. _I'm scared_, I wanted to say. _I don't see anything in particular, but I don't want to be alone. Stay, please, don't leave me. I'm scared._ But it would be silly to react that way without any reason, so I tried my hardest to smile for him.

"It's nothing, Jazz. Only that… I already miss you."

Jasper chuckled. "It's only for a week, honey. Don't worry."

He kissed me again, this time a full, long kiss, and disappeared

It soon turned out that his business trip would take longer than expected due to a last-minute problem. And it turned out, too, that I did have something to fear.

It started about four days after Jasper had left, when I'd finally convinced myself of what a fool I'd been for worrying like that when my visions were proving me wrong. That night I'd been writing an article for the magazine and designing a dress for a coming auction -I hoped Jazz would be back by then- until around three in the morning, moment when I decided to check on my children. I'd taken their cots down to the study so I could be with them while I worked, and so far I hadn't detected anything out of the ordinary. But then, as I leaned over Hershey's cot, I realized something was going on. Her skin, which under the golden lights of the study always had a somehow creamy appearance, looked yellowish and had lost its vampire gleam. Her lips were slightly open and I noticed they were trembling softly. When I touched her forehead, it was burning.

I took her and Leo and ran to Esme and Carlisle's as fast as I could. When I handed my daughter to him, he looked more worried than I'd ever seen him.

"Don't let me scare you yet, Alice. Stay here with Esme and your son while I check Hershey."

Esme sat beside me and soothed me with her maternal tenderness. I was almost crazy with worry, wondering how long was too long, what was going on with my daughter; the idea of anyone or anything hurting either of my children was just lethal to me. Thanks to Esme I managed to stay relatively calm until Carlisle reappeared with Hershey in his arms.

"Ok, Alice, listen carefully," he began as I took the girl again. "I've seen this phenomenon in other half-breed children before, I'm sure it's the same thing. You see, sometimes the vampire cells and the human cells in the blood realize they _shouldn't_ be together and they rebel against each other. They fight among themselves and the antibodies don't know what to do, who to help, because of the duality in the system. Therefore, vampire cells are trying to destroy the human ones and viceversa, and the person only becomes the battlefield. The entire body is weakened, and in such a small child it can be quite dangerous."

I nodded slowly. "So… what can we do? Is there a medicine? A therapy?"

He sighed and it took him a minute to answer. "Yes. There is a medicine. An infusion that when mixed with human blood and drunk by the patient can restore the balance of the cells."

"And how do we get it?"

"It takes a long time to prepare. Time for the ingredients to mature, to mix, to reach their full potential. The whole process takes around two and a half months. And, like wines, the medicine gets better and stronger with time."

"Two months… Carlisle, that's too long… she'd be- she- she could-" I finally felt panic begin to invade me. I could hear Hershey's breathing getting more and more difficult, her little body trembling against my chest.

"I know. But listen, there _is_ some of this medicine right now that has all these characteristics. There is a place in the world where we could find what we need to save your daughter."

"_Then what are we waiting for? Where? Let's go! Now!_"

"Alice, please, calm down. The only place where we could get this is… Volterra. Aro himself patented the formula, and he's the only one who has it right now. To save Hershey we need to go to Aro."

I closed my eyes and held my child tighter to my heart while my mind considered a thousand options and plans. That I would go to Volterra to get the medicine was more than obvious; I would go to the very doors of Hell if necessary to help my children. But, how much of this should Jasper know? Was there any point in calling him and tell him everything? It would only worry him, he'd come back immediately and would try to dissuade me from going to Italy, and all the while I'd be wasting precious instants I could use to save my daughter's life. No, it would be too risky and complicated to tell Jasper.

So there was only one option for me to pick. I would go to Volterra, alone. I would only take Hershey with me, leaving everyone else, despite their protests, safely behind. I forbid them to let Jasper find out about anything. I saw no future problems with the path I was taking and so I decided to take my chances. I would go alone, and I would pay Aro's price, whichever it was. I was ready to make a pact with the devil, if that kept my daughter alive.

**Helloo! Ok, I owe you an explanation. You see, I realize****d that in trying to update frequently the chapters were losing their original quality and level. Of course, I couldn't allow that, so I decided to wait longer than ever, but making sure I could give you something worth reading. It's the least you deserve, guys.**

**Ooh, h****ave I told you the anecdote about the dog? One day I was in a park, Starbucks cup in hand, when I saw this woman and her daughter walking their dog, a beautiful, big, black dog. Suddenly, the dog set off running, dangerously close to the cars. Mother and daughter began shouting: "Bella! Bella! Bella, come back! Bella!" …**

… **coincidence…? … ? **

**All right, people, so this is probably the last chapter of the year. I'll try to give you another one, but just in case I don't, let me thank you again for these sixteen months of love and support; you've given me thousands of things, and I've learned so, so much… thank you.**

**Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, don't get (too) drunk and see you later.**

**XOXO**


	45. What happens in Volterra

**What happens in Volterra**

The flight to Volterra lasted endless torturing hours during which I saw my daughter get impossibly worse. Every second that passed carried the certainty that I would lose her. Once we landed I still had to figure out how to run across the city without getting caught by sunlight; somehow I managed to hide in the shadows until I stood in front of the hidden door that led to Volturi territory.

I'd just begun to wonder how I'd come in when I saw a dark, hooded figure approach me. Of course. I should have known they'd have security around the place. As the figure came closer, I recognized Felix.

"Hello, Cullen girl. How can we help you?"

"I need to see Aro."

"Well, I'm afraid you should have told us you were coming. Aro is busy at the moment, so-"

In that moment I unwrapped the blanket that covered my daughter, revealing her to Felix.

Without another word he led me into the secret passage.

It was in moments like this one when I loved being a Cullen. There wasn't a door that was closed when you had that name. Everybody knew that we were second to the Volturi, we, too, had talented ones among us, the family had existed for centuries and, counting our children, we were the largest in numbers. I was soon told Aro would see me immediately.

I walked, or better said, ran into the wide turret-hall. In my desperation, I couldn't help but falling at Aro's feet.

"What is the matter, Alice?"

"My daughter is dying," I half-sobbed.

He held out his arms for her and with just one look he understood. As soon as I saw that I continued begging.

"Carlisle told me only you have the medicine she needs. Please, I implore you, help me. I'll do anything, anything you want, but save her."

"Anything?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Anything."

"Well, then, come with me."

We both stood up, he whispered something to Jane and I followed him into what looked like a comfortable, luxurious living room, exquisitely decorated and warm. There were three big shelves full of different flasks and bottles. I wondered what other illnesses our kind suffered, to need such a stock of substances. Aro quickly grabbed one of these flasks and opened it. As he stirred the liquid inside, a soft, sweet smell rose from it.

"This must be the only medicine on Earth that tastes nice," he commented. "It will feel like sugar to her."

Right then Jane reappeared, carrying a tray with a jar, a cup, and, why, a baby's bottle. This last one was totally normal, but the jar and the cup were made of gold and covered with all the jewels in the world. I could smell human blood, warm, and not warm like the microwave-warm blood we feed to the kids, no, this was fresh, just-extracted blood. The scent was fire in my throat. So close…

Aro took the bottle and filled half of it with the medicine, the other half with the blood. He shook it softly and began feeding Hershey. She quickly drained most of the liquid, and already I could see her skin going back to its normal color. Ten minutes later the transformation was evident: the fever was gone and her heartbeat became regular again. She was saved. She'd live. The sigh of relief and joy escaped my lips, earning a smile from Aro.

"Thank you so, so, so, so much. I owe you my child's life."

"It was a pleasure, Alice. Such a pretty girl…"

"How can I pay you for this? What can I do?"

"You said you would do anything. Is your offer still on?"

"Yes."

"In that case… Jane, honey, could you take Hershey and make sure she drinks the rest of her medicine?"

"Yes, Master."

They both disappeared and I turned around to face Aro. Already I could catch glimpses of what he was planning and began preparing myself. I'd always known, though, I knew what his price would be, but for my child I was willing to pay it. We stared at each other for a while and then slowly, very slowly, he raised his hand until the fingertips touched my cheek. His eyes unfocused for a couple of seconds and I knew he was Seeing. Then he smiled again.

"He doesn't know you're here. He doesn't know _anything_. And you plan never to tell him."

His hand stroked my hair and took a lock between his fingers. He walked a step closer to me. The other hand rested quietly on my waist. Slowly, he bent forward and pressed his lips to my cheek, once, twice. I looked down and tilted my head to the side to give him better access. I mean, it was going to happen, anyway, so what was the point of being difficult? He'd saved Hershey and I had a promise to keep. But when I did this, he stopped. His lips moved to my ear and whispered,

"No, Alice, it's not what you think. I won't touch you."

He took a step back and looked into my surprised eyes.

"Alice, I would never do that to you. Yes, I like you too much and I desire you more than I've ever desired any other woman, I won't deny it, but I could never force you into something like this. That would be a nameless cruelty. You are precious to me, and so I can't hurt you; besides, you are trying to save the purest thing ever created, a baby, _your_ baby, and it would be terrible to pollute that by asking you such a sacrifice. Your body is not a payment method, it's sacred, and I won't touch it unless you want me to. In that case… well, let's say I'll be more than happy to please you. But never forced, Alice." He looked at me and I nodded. "I was only trying to see how far you'd be willing to go for your daughter, and I'm happy to see your devotion for her."

I didn't know what to say. I truly expected him to trade his help for that pleasure I knew he desperately craved. Detecting my awkwardness, he moved to the table where Jane had left the jar of blood. He poured some of it into the cup and handed it to me.

"Drink," he said.

I hesitated. The aroma was making me insane, but I couldn't help remembering my family whenever I was about to give in.

"You've been under a lot of stress, Alice, too much worry. That pseudo blood your family prefers will never make you feel what you feel with fresh, warm, real blood. Do not be afraid, drink, it will do you good. A small treat once in a while won't hurt you and no one else needs to know. Come on."

Seeing that I still hesitated he touched the surface of the blood with his index, with which he then touched my lips, smearing the blood on them. I felt it with my tongue and it took all of my strength not to snatch the cup from his hands. Instead, I forced myself to be a lady and gently took it and drank a sip. The second I swallowed it I felt the most amazing relief and I couldn't help wondering how we were able to live on animal blood when something like this existed. I took another long sip and then became aware that I wasn't alone. But Aro only smiled and refilled the cup the two times I drained it.

"See?" he told me once I was myself again. "It wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It shouldn't have happened."

"Oh, but why not? Why do we always follow this silly human tendency to deny ourselves what gives us the most pleasure? Happiness and self-enjoyment, that's what life is about. If you run from it, then there's no point at all in your existence."

He took my hand and led me to a sofa, where we sat. There, still holding my hand, he spoke again, and I couldn't detect anything but kindness in his voice.

"I know you think that I hate you, that I only seek to destroy your family. Yet it's anything but that. Listen, the only thing I want is to preserve the secrets of our world. Our survival depends on it. Can you imagine what would happen if humans realized we existed? They would hunt us down again, like they did so many centuries before! And I have people here who once survived that attack by seconds; Jane and Alec, for example, I found them burning at the stake. It was a miracle that they lived. Can I risk my people to go through that again? Make them suffer and fear? Of course not. Therefore, I hope you can understand our attitude towards your family; in trying to find what is left of your own humanity you are putting everyone in danger. Is that fair?

"I do not wish for a war between us, Alice, so I would greatly appreciate it if you were a bit more… prudent. Carlisle is a very wise man, I'm sure he'll make the right decision. Just be careful. Besides, isn't it uncomfortable for you to be perpetually playing this double face, not to mention the denial of your nature and instincts?" he looked meaningfully at the now empty jar. Ah, of course it is. More than uncomfortable. "You are not humans, Alice. It would be better for you if you just accepted that. Think about it, will you?"

We went back to the Hall, where Jane was waiting with a very healthy and completely recovered Hershey.

"Mama," said my girl, holding out her little arms.

"She speaks already? What a charming creature!" exclaimed Aro while I take my daughter. "Well, dear, I think our mission is complete. The child will live. I'm very pleased to see her growing so beautifully. Please, feel free to visit whenever you want: the doors of this house will always be open for such friends like the Cullens. Now, go back. Go back to your husband and son."

He kissed Hershey's forehead and we left. Night had already fallen over the quiet streets of Volterra, so there was no danger of us getting caught by a traitor sunbeam. We did get caught, though, when we arrived to the airport.

"You thought I wouldn't find out?" sounded a deep, manly voice. The voice I would recognize and answer to even in my dreams. And there he was, looking straight at me. Jasper.

**Turns out I was able to post another chapter…**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE! LOVE YOU!**


	46. Broken Wings

**Happy New Yearrrrr ! Sa****nta brought nice stuff? Got drunk during a party? Ready for more Chronicles?**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Broken Wings**

"Jasper," I gasped.

"You thought I wouldn't find out?" he repeated his question.

"Jazz, I-"

"How is she?" he asked, looking at Hershey.

"Perfect. Healthy and strong. She's saved. Honey, please, let me explain this. I really, really didn't mean to -"

"Give me the child," he commanded. I handed her to him and he hugged her tightly for a while, closing his eyes. Suddenly he opened them and pierced me with his look. "She smells of Jane," he said with disgust. "Did you let that thing take my daughter?"

"A-Aro gave Hershey to Jane, so she could drink the medicine he prepared. Jane fed her, that's all."

"Look at me," he said. When I did, I noticed his eyes. Black, surprisingly so, and spitting more fury than I'd ever seen in him. "Look properly," he growled, and took off my sunglasses. "_Your eyes_," he hissed.

Ouch. I'd forgotten. After drinking all that human blood my eyes must have turned red. I caught my reflection on a mirror. Double ouch. Brilliant crimson irises.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Jasper, let me explain, please."

But he didn't say a word, and I couldn't gain enough courage to continue without his consent.

"What else did you do? What else?" he suddenly whispered. I was about to answer him when I realized he was talking _about_ me, not _to_ me. When he finally spoke to me, his voice was a harsh growl. "Move. We've got a plane to catch. Come on, move."

I followed him. I made one attempt to talk to him, but he completely ignored me. The whole time his focus was only on Hershey and it was as if I didn't exist at all.

We finally got home after the most horrible, stressing flight of my entire life. Jasper had somehow blocked his decisions, so every vision I got was a dark blur. He drove us home, but first stopped at Rosalie and Emmett's to drop Hershey. Rose got the door and smiled when she saw the baby, but then a hint of fear appeared as she noticed our expressions. I was scared to death, but at least I could hear Leo's baby cries upstairs and I knew our kids would be safe, even if I didn't know anything else in the world.

As if synchronized, we went directly to our room. Jasper closed the door softly and turned to me. Then I finally saw how angry he was. It was an almost animal fury, blind, and with his trembling body and his impossibly black eyes he'd never looked less human.

"W-who- who told you?" I stammered.

"Rosalie called me. She did think my daughter's life was something I deserved to know about."

"Jazz, please, listen. I … I didn't want to worry you, love, I thought I could deal with this on my own, without having to interrupt you."

"You didn't want to worry me? Do you have any idea, the slightest idea, of how terrified I've been ever since my sister told me you'd gone there, to Volterra, to the Volturi, all alone? That my daughter was agonizing? That maybe by that moment she was already dead? But no, you didn't want to worry me, not at all!"

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd react like this! You wouldn't have let me go and while we argued our child would be dying. I wanted to save time."

"By lying to me!"

"I didn't!"

"Yes you did! You could have called me to say you were going to Volterra. I would have met you there and you wouldn't have been alone at Aro's feet."

"But I-"

"How can I trust you anymore, knowing that anytime you can betray me and lie to me? How can I be sure of your love?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Jasper. Can't you see me? Can't you see that I have given everything up for you? I left my whole life behind, I left my humanity, I put my career aside, I carried your children though we knew it was dangerous; have you already forgotten that I almost died when Leo was born? And you still dare questioning the love I feel for you? Jasper, I … if only you could see what you mean to me." He snorted. "Jazz, believe me, I have never, ever lied to you. If there's anything I've kept from you, it was to protect you. Because I love you."

"Whatever. Now tell me, and I want the truth, Alice, I want it all: Aro had the medicine."

"Yes."

"And he gave it to Hershey so she could be saved."

"Yes."

"What was his price?"

"Nothing. He didn't ask for anything."

"He just helped you and let you go, just like that."

"Yes."

Jasper walked slowly towards me until his lips were at my ear. "I. Don't. Believe. You."

"_What?_ But, Jasper, it's the truth!"

"I don't believe you! He asked for something, I know he did. And I know what that was."

He looked down at me and I suddenly hated my height. I didn't want to be so small that I didn't even reach his shoulder; I wanted to be a giant who could jump at him and shake him until I could get sense and truth inside his head. "Jasper, believe me, I beg you, nothing happened!"

"Ha! Like I don't know Aro. Like I haven't felt the waves of desire and lust whenever he sees you. You were there, alone and desperate for help; it was his big chance. He obviously took it."

"He didn't! He didn't touch me, I swear! He said he wouldn't do it because he couldn't hurt me like that, he couldn't pollute my trying to save our daughter. We talked while Jane fed Hershey, and that was it!"

"Please, Alice, don't insult me. You disappear without saying a word and next thing I know, you have got a favor from the leader of leaders, Aro, who coincidentally desires you more than anything, and you want me to think you got that help for free? When your eyes couldn't be redder, when you're breaking all the values of this family _and_ of our marriage?"

"Well, in case you haven't realized, I didn't go on a picnic. Our girl was dying and I had to act as fast as possible. Whatever it took. It surprises me, too, that Aro helped me just like that, but he did. He saved our daughter! He… he did talk me into drinking that blood, but I didn't kill anyone, the blood was already there and I … I couldn't refuse. And for your information, though he said he wouldn't force me to be with him, had that been his price I would have paid it, a thousand times! But I swear, for the umpteenth time, that nothing happened between us."

"Come on, Alice. You kept things from me, you lied to me. And you wouldn't cheat on me? You already did, once, when you kissed that dog. Now this. You slept with Aro, I know you did! You sold yourself, just like any vulgar wh-"

And before I could stop myself there it was, my hand flying until it met his cheek with a loud, hollow sound. Then I lost all control and ran downstairs, to the garden. I heard his voice calling me time after time, but for the first time in almost five years I didn't look back.

_Jasper's POV_

She ran so fast I couldn't even hear her graceful feet touching the stairs. Her slap had been a kind of wake-up call for me and I shouted her name, hoping she would come back to me. But she didn't. She didn't. Then I understood how unfair I'd just been; someone guilty wouldn't have looked so devastated. And I knew her, I knew that even if she kept something from me, when I questioned her she always admitted it. I'd just hurt a totally innocent person who was also the love of my life. In desperation, as soon as I saw her running in the garden I jumped out the window, the two floors that separated me from where she was. I saw her knelt by the rosebushes, her entire petite frame shaking with sobs. She was crying the painful way us vampires cry: tearless, dry, with the knot that cannot dissolve in tears burning the throat as if the thirst wasn't enough. It was a terrible vision, a little fairy with her wings broken.

"Alice…" I began.

"Go away!" she shouted.

"Please, let's talk."

"Ah, _now_ you want to talk! But I don't, not anymore. Now go away, I don't want to see you. Disappear."

"Darling, I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't call me 'darling'! You don't mean it. I don't care how sorry you are. You have showed me you don't trust me, and without that there's nothing I can do to save us. Go."

"But-"

"GO!"

I didn't know what else to do. If she didn't let me speak I couldn't implore her to forgive me. She was too angry and disappointed for my powers to work; besides, her pain was real and justified while my talent was nothing but a cheap trick. She kept crying, and I decided to touch her. I placed one hand on her shoulder and the other on her waist, desperately hoping she would accept it.

"Get your hands off me!" she roared, vigorously shaking me off. When she spoke again her tone was even more desolate. "So Jacob was right. You only want me for… _that_."

"No, no, no. Alice, don't say that. I would never, ever think that."

"Just look at you, trying everything to calm me down, to get me back. But, back to your home, back to your heart? Nooo, back to your bed. Thank you so much, Jasper."

For a while I was lost. It was completely impossible to convince her. She now hated me, and she was right. I waited until her sobs were quieter and then tried again.

"Alice, my love, at least let's go into the house. Please. Then, if you want, we can talk about this." I held out my hand to help her up.

She turned to me and stared at my hand. For a second I thought she would take it, we'd go inside, we'd talk, and everything would be fine again. But she stood up on her own and looked straight at me. Her eyes, now that I saw them better, were the red of roses, the red of velvet, a richer, purer red than when she was a newborn. It was a beautiful shade inside which I could lose myself forever; and I wished her eyes could always be that color. We looked at each other for a long time, and just when I'd gained enough courage to touch her face she set off running at top vampire speed, leaving me and my regret behind.

_Alice's POV_

I ran and ran, the speed somehow numbing the pain I felt, and headed straight to Jacob's.


	47. Betraying Butterfly

**Betraying Butterfly**

I arrived to Jacob's at twilight. I heard movement in his backyard and ran that way. I certainly didn't expect to find at least ten phased werewolves looking straight at me, some with bared teeth.

"Oh, er, hi," I stammered. This definitely wasn't my day. "Um… Jacob?"

Contrary to what I thought, I spotted him immediately: a big, brown wolf, the color of caramel, whose fur looked fluffy and warm. It _had_ to be him, and yes, he was the one to come toward me, better said, run, because he moved incredibly fast, jumped, and licked my face.

"Ew, Jake!"

He turned to the pack and growled, then went into the house. I was left to face the wolves again. To make the wait easier I tried to identify them. There was a huge black one who just had to be Sam; every time a wolf tried to move he made him back off. Then I recognized my friends: the grey one with touches of black and white was surely Nicky, for I knew she'd highlighted her hair pink and that showed in the wolf's head and tail. I also saw Jacob's sister, Leah, whose beautiful eyes were unmistakable. Then I made the painful discoverings. A small, cappuccino-colored wolf looked at me with sad eyes. I approached him.

"Hey, Joe," I sighed. "I'm so sorry."

He barked and rolled on the grass like an oversized golden retriever.

"If you say so," I smiled.

Next to him another young wolf with fur a bit darker than Jacob's rolled her eyes and sat on the ground with what seemed a sigh. It wasn't hard to guess that that was Demetria. To know that I was responsible for three phasings in that pack sent a wave of guilt through me. If only there was a way for me to repair the damage I'd done to them.

"Alice!"

Jacob had a smile from ear to ear as he greeted me. It seemed that none of the things I'd ever said to him had affected him, and he held no grudges. I felt a sudden outburst of affection for him.

"Sorry I came just like that, Jacob, but I really don't have anyone else to talk to. But if I'm interrupting you I-"

He suddenly hugged me with crushing strength. I could smell he'd tried to disguise the wolf smell with cologne. The mix of both was quite pleasant, and so was the warmth I could practically see coming off his body. I hugged him back.

"Ok, everyone, go away," he said to the wolves as he led me inside his house. "Now, tell me, what's the matter? You look terrible."

I explained everything and soon I was crying again. He sat me on a couch and held me tighter.

"Want me to tell him a couple of truths?" he asked.

"No. Well… It's just that… I'm lost, Jacob, I don't know what to do. We'd never had such a problem before. And for something so stupid! Perhaps I shouldn't have-"

"No, no, no, Alice, listen: this isn't your fault. He should be on his knees, thanking you for having saved your daughter. You only proved how much you love your kid and your family. You're not the one to blame, you only gave yourself the place you deserve."

"Do you really think so?"

"Absolutely, silly."

It felt so good to be somewhere outside the vampire world. I mean, of course Jacob knew everything about that universe, and was more tied to it than anyone, but, still, it was refreshing. The only ones of my kind I really knew were the Cullens, and I was sure that as soon as I told them what was going on they would subject me and Jasper to a couple therapy session. They were kind, they would try to help us, yet I only longed for someone who could hug me and say I was right in everything that had happened.

Jacob's words were soothing and soon I felt much better. I noticed a bunch of issues from the magazine we worked at, lying on a table, and grabbed a couple for memories' sake. They were amusing, and while we read them together we exchanged anecdotes about staying awake until midnight to have this or that ready before James fired us. With his storytelling, Jacob managed to finally make me laugh. That is, until I noticed one particular issue among the pile.

"You have this?" I asked. The cover of the magazine was Jasper. In big letters it read _'To infinity and beyond'_. I opened the issue and found the ten-pages-long article about the young entrepreneur with the world at his feet. And under the very last line there it was, tiny but there: _Pictures by Alice Brandon._

"What is it, Alice?" said Jacob, sounded worried.

"Nothing. Just that… we met there, Jazz and I. I went to his house for this interview. Who would have said then that we would… ah."

"I know, baby. It's ok."

We were silent for a while after that.

"He sent me flowers the next day," I suddenly said.

"Sorry?"

"Jasper. He sent me flowers the next day, and then when the issue was released. Red roses, always red roses. Like the ones in our garden, have you seen them? When he changed me, it was there with the flowers, so I had a pretty memory when I woke up."

Jacob stopped petting my hair and he sighed. "You love him."

I looked down and nodded. Involuntarily, I had flashes of all those moments we'd spent together. The good ones: our wedding, the birth of our children, our very particular way of saying goodbye before he left for Abu Dhabi -when we were so grateful we didn't have to sleep or eat at all-…

Jacob was about to add something when his phone rang. I had a fairly clear idea of who that was, since I'd switched off my phone after Jasper had called a fifth time. I hadn't seen him try this -he was calling a werewolf-, but I knew him. I tried to stop Jacob from picking up, but he did it, anyway.

"Hello?"

"_It's Jasper Cullen."_

"What do you want?"

"_Is my wife there?"_

Jacob looked at me and I shook my head no.

"Yes. She's here."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"_Can I talk to her?"_

"If she wanted to hear you she would already have called you."

"_Jacob, please… You don't understand…"_

"I understand better than you think, Jasper. I understand that you've just stepped on the heart of the most wonderful girl in the world. I understand that she's sitting on my couch, morally shattered and heartbroken. You idiot, she adores you!"

"_Then you understand how guilty, how horrible I feel. This is hell for me, Jacob. Please, I beg you, let me apologize to her. I'm so sorry."_

Jacob covered the phone with one hand and turned to me again. "He does sound sorry, Alice. He seems devastated. Look, I never thought I would say this, but give him a chance. If he said all those things is because he's jealous, and he's jealous because he loves you. You love him, too, so continuing this fight is childish."

I sighed. Jacob was right. This was stupid, stubbornness from me. "Yes," I said, and held out my hand for the phone. Jake took it, but instead of giving it to me he addressed Jasper.

"Come over, bloodsucker. She said yes."

When he hung up I put my arms around him. It must have looked strange; he was so tall now that I could only reach his stomach. He laughed, seized me by the waist and made me sit on the couch. Now that we were more or less even I spoke.

"I don't know what to say, Jake. I know how hard this is for you."

His deep, dark eyes were sad as he answered. "I love you, Alice. The only thing I want is to see you happy. Even if it's not with me. This is what people do for love, isn't it?"

I stroked his face and felt like a complete monster. "Jake…" I leaned forward to kiss his lips -it was the least I could do, knowing his feelings-, but he stopped me.

"Alice, please, don't do this. It's difficult enough as it is, having to say goodbye again. Besides, if I allowed myself to kiss you, I wouldn't be able to stop. Anyway… can you hear that car? Bet it's him. Man, he's one fast driver."

Sure enough, the doorbell rang and I heard the soft tapping Jasper did with his foot whenever he was anxious.

"It's him," said Jacob. "You go."

I got up and opened the door. There he was, Jasper, _my_ Jasper, tall and leonine and just as sad as I was. We looked into each other's eyes and without any word, we melted in a hug. Feeling his body again was unbelievable, his muscular arms wrapped tightly around me while I rested my head on his wide chest and inhaled the scent that was purely him, manly, strong, fresh. Then I felt his abs pressed against my torso and suddenly I desired him with an indescribable urgency.

"My love, my love, my love, thank you. I'm so sorry."

"Me too. It was my fault."

"It was mine."

"I shouldn't have done that."

"I shouldn't have said that."

"I hurt you.

"So did I."

"Forgive me."

"No, you forgive _me_."

"I love you."

"I love you."

He looked at me, smiled and kissed my forehead. Then he turned to Jacob. Oops, I'd forgotten him.

"Jacob," started Jasper. "I know this sounds strange, but thank you so much for what you have done tonight. You gave her what I didn't: safety, love comprehension, support. I really could never thank you enough for helping my Alice. Also, you are returning her to me, trying to solve things between us instead of taking advantage of this chance in your favor. I appreciate it with all my heart. I know it's hard to believe this right now, but I love Alice with my whole soul and being. Your sacrifice means the world to me. Again, thank you."

"Just prove it's worth it. Give her the place she deserves and trust her. Because if I ever hear you have broken her heart again, I won't be so considerate. If I don't rip your head off right now is because I know that all this love you claim to feel is the one _she_ feels for _you_. Jasper, you know I love her. If I called you, if you're still alive, it's because of that, because _I_ could never bear to hurt her."

"I know. I appreciate that. Thanks again, Jacob."

I let go of Jasper's hand to peek Jacob on the cheek.

"See you, Fido. I'll never forget what you've done today."

He patted my shoulder. "Take care, beautiful. Tell your baby leeches Uncle Jake says hi and let me know if this bloodsucker needs to remember what he has."

I laughed. "I'm a bloodsucker, too, Jake."

"Yeah, well… I guess no one's perfect."

"True. Oh, and, I'm sorry for all the ugly things I've ever said to you. Friends?"

Jacob sighed. "Friends." He smiled at me one last time and we left.

We picked up our kids and went home to finally spend some time with them. I did know that I missed my family as it had always been, but only then I realized how desperate that longing was. It had been a while since we'd last played all together, and we had so much fun I wondered why we had waited. Our Leo was almost a year old

When it was time to put the kids to sleep we took them to their nursery. It was amazing how much they'd grown, and so gorgeous; Leo was almost a year old now, and he was all smiles and charm, while Hershey looked as if she'd never been ill at all. Watching them sleep was fascinating.

"Look at them," whispered Jasper, who stood behind me as we leaned over the cots. "And they are _us_, they are a bit of ourselves, of who we are," he put his arms around my waist. "They already resemble us a lot. I can't wait to see how they develop. Well," he chuckled, "as long as Hershey doesn't inherit the shopping thing."

I laughed. "It will be Leo, then."

I turned around to face him. Little by little, very slowly, Jasper bent forward and pressed his lips to mine. I couldn't help it –I kissed him back. He held me tighter and his hands roamed across my chest. Oops. He led me toward the door that connected the nursery with our bedroom and once we were there his kissing got more intense. I was originally planning on making him wait a few days, as a punishment for what he did, but to tell the truth as soon as I felt him pressed to me I knew the punishment would be just as hard for me. _To the hell with everything_, I thought.

I pressed my palms to his chest, feeling the toned muscles over the sweater he wore. His breath hitched and looking up I met his hungry gaze. I kept running my hands over his torso and felt the growl go up his throat. I could hear a voice purring and a pair of hands struggling with buttons and zippers. It took me a while to realize they were both mine.

"It's been so long," Jasper murmured. "Since before Abu Dhabi. I hadn't had the chance to tell you, but I missed you so much! I couldn't wait to be with you again. Not only like this; I wanted to know you were just a few steps away from me. I needed you. And also-"

I silenced him with a kiss.

It was our first time all over again. He was soft, careful, and extremely tender, putting my own pleasure over his and making sure I was totally satisfied. But it wasn't only that. We rediscovered each other, we'd been through so much that we'd forgotten what we were really like and it was relieving to know we were back together, still the same ones. And, of course, it had certainly been a while since we'd last done this, so we both had tons of repressed desire boiling just under our skins, and it didn't take long to surface. It was great.

Hours went by before we calmed down. When we were finally done, we laid there in each other's arms for a while. After an hour or so I got up and put on one of Jasper's shirts, which hung to my knees, and opened one of my drawers, taking out my camera. I went back to the bed and sat on his hips, my legs at both sides of his body, and snapped a few candids.

"You look beautiful with that shirt on," he said with a smile.

"Thanks. Hey, what time is it?"

He looked at his watch. "Three o'clock in the morning. But what does it matter? We have a million lifetimes ahead."

"And two kids that will start howling any moment now."

"Then let's make the best of our last minutes," he said, pulling me down for a kiss. Then he continued. "You know what, my love? I think that we've been through a lot lately. Lately as in, since Leo's birth. I mean, your change, the sudden apparition of the puppies, oh, ok, _the werewolves_, Hershey's illness, all this interaction with the Volturi, our… disagreement these days… I believe we deserve a break, what do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea. What do you suggest?"

"Why don't we go on a second honeymoon?"

"Really? A second honeymoon?" I couldn't hide my excitement.

"Absolutely. We're in desperate need of a break, before one of us snaps. And we're near our fifth anniversary, it's about time. Like it?"

"Love it! Where are we going?"

"Hm… I think Esme could let us use her island for a couple of weeks. I could also take you to Europe; I know how much you love it."

"Yay! Thank you." I leaned forward again to give him another kiss.

"I'm glad you like the plan," he laughed and kissed me back. In that moment a wailing started in the other room. Leo. I sighed and got off Jasper to feed our son. If anyone was about to snap, that was me.

Luckily, before that happened we were on a plane on our way to Paris.


	48. Sparks Fly

_Drop everything now_

_Meet me in the pouring rain_

_Kiss me on the sidewalk_

_Take away the pain_

'_Cause I see sparks fly_

_Whenever you smile_

**Hello hello hello ! I know, it's been awfully long since I last updated –but you haven't reviewed, either, so we're even-. The truth is, I failed last semester at school and I'm trying to learn in two months what I haven't learned in four years so I can save the year. I'm sure you understand and I beg you to be patient if I take long to give you new chapters. I'm really sorry.**

**That said, Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Sparks Fly**

"Put me down! Put me down! Put me doooowwwnn!"

I punched Jasper's back time and time again, but he still refused to put me back on my feet. He had me thrown over his shoulder, spinning around and running, completely ignoring my protests.

"Put me down!" I demanded again between roars of laughter, kicking and punching.

"Never!"

"Please!"

"No!"

"Pleaaaseee! Jazz, hey, Jazz, no, watch ou- Whaaa!"

_Splash!_ Between my weight and his own careless movements, Jasper lost his balance and we fell inside the pool. As soon as we were in the water I swam away from him, daring him to chase me. He did, bubbles forming as he laughed. We spent minutes underwater, playing this kind of hide-and-seek game until he managed to get his arms around my waist. In that moment, as if previously coordinated, we swam to the surface. When we came out, we were kissing intensely. After a while I tried to pull back, but he wouldn't let me go.

"You're not going anywhere until you kiss me like that again."

Our mouths joined again for an even longer time. We tried to get rid of the soaked clothes, but we were unsuccessful and decided to just keep kissing and swimming.

The three weeks we'd already spent on this second honeymoon had been pretty much the same, just fooling around like a couple of newlywed lovebirds. I remembered spending nights on the deck of that cruise, dancing under the stars; the day we chased each other around a French sunflower field until he surrendered and we made love until we realized our bodies sparkled bright yellow from the flowers we'd smashed; though our bodies were impermeable we still hadn't managed to quite get rid of the color.

At night we'd go to dance clubs, from the newest, most modern ones, to the classical places with music that reminded Jasper of his human life. However, the dances I enjoyed the most were the ones at home, that charming cottage he'd bought when we got married. One evening we danced to Muse's _Feeling Good_ and the song's title seemed more than an understatement.

"God, I missed this," murmured Jasper. He guided the dance, one hand holding mine and the other on the small of my back.

"What did you miss?"

"Being a husband."

"And may I know what have you been all this time?"

"A dad."

I laughed at this answer –he was so right. "I missed this, too, being a wife."

He pressed me closer to his body and I rested my head on his chest. I could feel each of his muscles as he danced, and his cool, sweet breath on my neck when he spoke again.

"Thank you for forgiving me. I mean, you saved me a ton of money from all the stuff I was prepared to get you to convince you."

"Don't be so excited. I'm not even half done with my shopping, which, FYI, you're paying.

He patted me lightly and bent forward to nibble at my neck. But I was right. There were a thousand new dresses and jewels to be added to my collection, not to mention the tons of presents for our family and friends. And I'd only just begun.

"If we keep going like this," I said to him, "we'll need a private plane to carry all this stuff."

Next day I heard him on the phone with who I suppose was a pilot, asking if he 'could take the dust off the little Boeing'. Oh my.

But other than that our life was normal. Well, as normal as the life of two vampires going on a second honeymoon after a matrimonial crisis can be. After Europe we went to Esme's island, a mandatory stop when it came to romantic escapades. Rosalie and Emmet spent a week or two there whenever they got married, Edward and Bella had spent a few days there after their twins were born, and, of course, it was Carlisle and Esme's favorite refuge. Though I found every bit of the place absolutely charming and beautiful I was most fond of the beach, particularly at night. With the sky so clear it seemed you could touch the star just by holding out your arm, and without the sun the air became purer and fresher. Every single night we walked more than five miles, holding hands under the moonlight and feeling the foamy waves wash our feet. The way our skin glowed was surreal, almost like our bodies shone from the inside out.

"You know what? I don't feel so strange here," he told me one of those nights.

"Why? What do you mean, 'strange'?"

"Yeah, like, for once I'm not worried about our skin gleaming, or the paleness. Just look around: with this full moon the sand is brighter and paler than us."

He was right; we, for once, did not stand out.

We stopped and sat down, letting the waves soak our legs. And out of nowhere we were rolling on the sand, making a war-like scandal while the water hit us from time to time. The point is, our relationship had become intensely physical as soon as we set foot on the island. We had kind of abandoned that area in the past weeks, what with the kids and our problems; at first we hadn't wanted to upset the children or pay less attention to them, and then we were angry with each other. But now, with no obstacles or fights, agenda or pressure, we were free to rediscover each other and enjoy ourselves like never before. I got to finally understand what Bella had meant about the feathers. Every day I was more and more grateful that we didn't have any neighbors.

We stayed there until morning was bright in the sky. We were resting on the sand, peaceful again, until I decided to turn around and admired the rainbows sparkling on Jasper's body. I usually disliked them because they didn't let me see the real shapes in his figure, but for some reason that day they didn't bother me at all. When I met his eyes, they had been performing the same inspection on my own body. His fingertip traced some lines on my skin and he smiled.

"You know what?" he said suddenly. "I think I'll buy you an island."

I'd seen too much of the generosity outbursts of the Cullen men, so instead of being shocked I just giggled, mildly amused. "And why?"

"Because… well, this place is great, but it's Esme's, and I can't shake the feeling that we're invading her space, and Carlisle's. We need our own space so that I don't have to give Esme a check every time."

"Everyone does that, you know? And the checks Emmett writes to her are always way bigger than ours."

"Still, I want you to have your own island."

"Thank you." I said, for lack of a better answer. Then he touched me once more and we started all over again.

_Jasper's POV_

That night we were on a couch, of course… kissing. She was practically laying all over the length of it, while I hovered over her. There were lots of sounds: the sea, the animals, the breeze and the vegetation it stirred, the flames of the fireplace, our quiets gasps and whimpers… She trembled under my touch and I was having some control problems myself thanks to her expert hands.

"You know, Alice, we really should save some desire for the centuries ahead of us. We're putting Em and Rose to shame."

She giggled and kissed me long and deliciously. Then she sat up.

"I love you," she cooed in my ear, then kissed my jaw.

"Not as much as I love you, gorgeous."

"Wanna bet?"

"I'd never bet against you, psychic."

She curled up against me. I put her legs on my lap and my arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad we're together again. You have no idea how I missed knowing we belong to each other."

"My Alice," I almost growled possessively. "Mine, mine, mine."

"Yes. Always yours, Jazz."

Suddenly, her eyes unfocused with that Vision look. When she came back from it, she was smiling, and I felt excitement and happiness coming from her.

"What is it, honey?" I asked her. "What do you see?"

"Um… I see… no, I'm not telling." After a pause she added, "Can we go home? It's not that I'm not enjoying myself, I love it here, but there's something waiting for us and I think it would be better if we return."

"Sure, love, whatever you want. But, can't you tell me why?"

"No. Be patient. It's not my secret to share."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me." I started kissing her jaw and neck.

"No." her answer was weaker now.

"Tell me," I whispered against her collarbone.

"N-no… Stop it, Jazz, I'm not telling. Deal with it!" she leaned forward and kissed me soft and deeply. "You'll find out soon."

We went upstairs for a while –yes, to do _that_- and afterwards she slipped away to the beach. I followed her discreetly, just right out of earshot. She was on the phone and I realized it was Esme; I could make out a few of Alice's words.

"Yes, yes… I just saw it," she sounded happy, and to confirm it she laughed. "We're going back as soon as possible… Don't worry, Esme, it will work out… yes… yes, that's what I saw… it's ok! Everything will be perfect." Laughter again. "I'll let you know… Oh, it's nothing… ok, you're welcome… give our love to Carlisle… I must go now, Jasper has followed me and can hear what I'm saying… yeah, _he's a p-a-r-a-n-o-i-a-c little f-o-o-l !_ Well then, see you soon. And congratulations."

As soon as she hung up she turned to me.

"You're in trouble, sir."

"Am I?" I asked, surrounding her waist with my arms.

"Not really," she giggled. "We're going back tomorrow."

"Whatever you say."

Obediently, I followed her commands and we were home a few hours later. What we heard when we were called to the big house changed everyone's life forever.

**Just saw Black Swan on Saturday. My, what a beautifully disturbing, disturbingly beautiful movie. Natalie Portman will win the Oscar. Period. She was truly amazing and unbelievable, her performance out of this world. I cried at the end, so… beautiful… **

**Team Natalie !**


	49. All I Believe In

_**Oh **__**my heart, I want you to be strong**_

_**I need you to be all I believe in**_

_**The Magic Numbers, Amadou and Mirian, All I Believe In**_

**All I Believe In**

"So… what is it? What's your surprise?"

A conspiratorial look flowed between Esme, Carlisle, Edward and Alice. The four of them were in on the secret. Edward and Alice were actually feeling mischievous. I tried to catch more emotions around me, but I only got confusing notions of excitement, joy and cluelessness.

"Ok, guys, this is it. I …well, I'm not really sure about this, but if it works… God, if it works…"

"It will, Carlisle, I've already told Esme."

"Thanks, Alice, sweetheart. Ok, so, we've been working on this and trying and checking and turns out that we did manage to, uh…"

"Zzzzzz…" Emmett buzzed, resting his head on Rosalie's shoulder as he closed his eyes.

"Yeah, sorry, it's just that… I don't know how to…Well, Esme and I, we… "

"We're having a child," said Esme finally, the widest, most beautiful of smiles drawing on her face.

Alice, Carlisle and Edward grinned freely now. So this was their big secret, huh?

"How was that possible?" asked Rosalie, her tone more demanding than curious. I couldn't blame her; she'd wanted this ever since she was human, and if now Esme could, so could she.

"We don't really know, Rose," answered Carlisle. "We tried so many things, for so long, that we're not sure which is the one that worked."

Curiously enough, no one looked surprised or shocked by these news; rather, everyone seemed to be calculating and planning. In that family reunion, out of eight people only Bella was human, and she was already kissing her mortal days goodbye. Rosalie and Emmett had always yearned for their own child, while Bella's only regret about becoming a vampire was that she wouldn't have more kids. During the whole eternity we -as race- had thought we were not able to reproduce if the woman was vampire, but now Esme had turned all laws upside down.

"Rosalie, dear, don't worry. I'm sure Carlisle will soon work out what helped us, and then you and Em will have your own children."

"But, are you sure? Like, really sure? A baby baby?"

"Yes, Bella. Esme has the symptoms, she recognizes them from her first pregnancy. She waited a few days and then told me. When we did the ultrasound… there it was…" Carlisle made a pause; I could feel that he didn't speak because he simply couldn't. "It is definitely a baby. You're having a baby brother or sister, guys."

Everyone laughed while Carlisle looked at Esme and the mutual flow of affection hit me by surprise. They must have been thinking some sugary stuff, too, because I saw Edward roll his eyes.

"This is truly wonderful," I said. "A miracle. And you're the best parents any kid could have."

"That's true," agreed Alice. "You have been mom and dad for all of us, and given us your love though you didn't have to." She went to sit next to Esme. "You're the luckiest little thing that ever lived," she said, a hand on Esme's stomach.

"You are all our children and we will always love you," answered Esme, kissing my pixie's hair. "Never forget that."

We celebrated the news all week long. Carlisle irradiated happiness and overjoy, as well as endless excitement and hope. He seemed even more enthusiastic than Esme, and he made no effort to hide his pride. Over the next few days the entire family devoted itself to the preparations for the arrival of the new Cullen.

_Alice's POV_

After almost a week we finally took a break from celebrating; though Esme and Carlisle were still by far the People of the Year, we were now going back to our routines. One morning, after I'd updated the list of baby names Bella, Rose and I had been working on –the number was now dangerously close to a thousand-, I took Leo and went downstairs, where I could hear my husband and Hershey. When I walked into the living room I saw Jasper, reading the newspaper as he always did in the morning, only that now Hershey was on the floor at his feet, leaning over the business section and laughing as she looked at the dollar and euro rate.

"Since when is our daughter into finances?" I asked with a smile.

"Since her mom can predict the trends in the stock market that make her dad richer by the second."

I laughed and bent down to kiss him. I placed Leo on the floor so he could crawl with Hershey and then sat on Jasper's lap. He kissed me again –ah, how we liked those kisses- and for a while we watched our kids.

"Do you think we should try?" he asked suddenly.

"Try what?"

"Whatever Esme and Carlisle did. Try having another baby. What do you think?"

I considered his words for a while. Yes, this was absolutely new, the chance for vampire women to conceive, but did we really need it? We, as a couple?

"I think we should wait, love," I finally said. "Not because it _can_ be done it means that it _must_ be done. Let's give it some time, see how it really works. After all, we have an eternity ahead of us and who knows, maybe in fifty years, once Hershey and Leo have grown up, we might want to finally have our Skittles."

He laughed and I pressed my forehead to his. "Don't think I don't want to, Jazz. I once told you I'd gladly have a soccer team, and I still do, but let's take it easy, ok?"

"Of course, my love. Whenever you want."

_? ' s POV_

The whole family went on a picnic that weekend, and everyone's attentions were focused on Esme and her miraculous body. Her husband looked adoringly at her while her daughters laughed and her sons cheered. Something should be said about the spark of jealousy in the blonde's eyes, though. But all in all, a nice little family gathering.

The spy snorted sarcastically. Disgusting. After a last look to see Esme's hands folded over her stomach, the spy left and caught the next flight to the Tuscany.


	50. Hearing Damage

**Hearing Damage**

The Hall buzzed with life. The most powerful vampires in history were gathered, waiting for Heidi and the victims. Meanwhile, they talked, they laughed, they argued. The Trio was engaged in a discussion about Swan Lake and its Swan Queen. Jane, sitting at Aro's feet, her golden head on his lap, looked adoringly at her Master. It was then that the spy arrived. The absence had been felt, and everyone had a nice welcome word. The spy walked directly towards the Trio and bowed the head.

"Masters," the spy began, "I've got news about the Cullens,"

"I should expect so," said Caius harshly. "That's why we sent you there."

"What is it?" asked Aro, a bit more condescending towards the spy; after all, it had been his idea. He had always had a particular interest in that family, and it showed in the sudden spark of his eyes.

"The Cullens are expecting another child."

After hearing this, most of the faces in the Hall lost interest. The few that remained showed more mockery than curiosity.

"Yet another one? But this is, what, their fifth brat!"

"What's with the Cullens, anyway? Don't they do anything else but romp like rabbits?"

"And it's the men, I'm sure, it's always the men. Those wives must fear the marriage bed just as much the way Jane fears fire."

Everyone was now too interested in their gibes to notice the punishment little Jane inflicted to the joker.

"Oh, but with those wives is easy to understand them. That blonde doll they've got…"

"Still, I truly don't understand how they can be such a strong force in our society if the only thing they do is fuck around and reproduce."

The laughter continued until Aro clapped twice. Then the entire room fell silent.

"Well, well, well, enough for now, dear ones. You," he addressed the spy, "will take a note and a little present for Edward and Bella to congratulate them for their brat –I mean, their baby."

"That's what I wanted to say," the spy's voice rose above the hushed giggles. "It's not Bella who is with child."

Again, there was silence.

"But she's the only human left," said Marcus. "Alice is now approaching one year as a vampire. Rosalie and Esme have always been like us. It _must_ be Bella."

"No, it's not."

"How can that be possible? That would mean a vampire…"

"Exactly. It is. The one who is expecting a child is Esme."

The same voices that had laughed a few minutes before were now uttering whispers of shock and incredulity.

"I overheard her and Carlisle when they found out, and when they told the rest of their clan. It sounds ridiculous, unbelievable, a joke, I know, but it's true. Esme Cullen is pregnant."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely sure, Master. The weirdest phenomenon, indeed, but the purest truth."

Aro got on his feet and paced around the Hall.

"A most interesting singularity… this means a complete revolution in the laws of our nature… such an event had never seen before… we must find out how that was possible, because if she could, so can all our women…"

He trailed off and kept moving silently. He actually resembled a caged lion. Jane stood up and approached him, but he waved her off without a spare glance. Marcus and  
Caius looked anxious, too, frowning and muttering to themselves. Around the Hall the aura of worry was spreading quickly, everyone getting involved in speculations and tentative plans. What they were planning, not even they knew, but there _had_ to be a plan,_ any_ plan.

"Damn it!" Aro exclaimed suddenly. "Why them? Why, among all, the Cullens! Couldn't it have been any other clan? The Cullens, the Cullens! The one family that gets more powerful every single day, and now they can make their own vampires. No immortal children, no adopted, no half-breeds: a pure, completely vampire child, conceived and carried by a vampire!" he moved furiously now. "And it had to be _her_!" shouted. "Precisely the leader's wife! No other than Carlisle's Esme!"

He growled and continued pacing. Abruptly, he stopped.

"We need to measure the child's potential and strength," he said, more to himself than the others. "Its development…This had never happened, never since the world is world. What kind of being will that be? What will it look like? The growth, the characteristics? … We need that kid. No matter what, we need it. That will be our only task from now on. All of you, get to work. Now! We must have it. We must have Esme and Carlisle's child."

**Guuuuuys! Homework help… yet again. I know, forgive me. Now I'm working on an article about the Black Swan effects. So, could you please tell me if **

**Now you're a tiny little bit scared of ballet**

**You know someone who dropped out of ballet lessons**

**Now whenever you think of Swan Lake you shudder**

**And if you see or hear about a Swan Lake performance you immediately pity / worry about the Swan Queen**

**You or someone you know downloaded the music / went to a performance of Swan Lake after Black Swan came out.**

**Please? *puppy eyes***

**XOXO**


	51. The Only Exception

**Hi! Sorry I took so horribly long. School camp, nine days in the jungle. First, it was Volturi cold, then it rained more than in Fo****rks and then it was Taylor Lautner-hot. I almost died in a waterfall cuz I can't swim. Anyway, I got home safe on Saturday, but yesterday… bam! fell down during the school play rehearsals. My left hand was bandaged and hurs more than a vamp transformation, so I could only type with the right one for a week. Then my account got all messy for two weeks and has just recovered. So, those are the reasons of my delay. Sorry.**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**P.S. : whenever you see a POV that's not defined and not in first person, it's "mine", so to say, just the general view of the situation.**

**The Only Exception**

_Esme's POV_

Not a cloud threatened our happy sky. It seemed that, finally, everything was falling into place and everyone was getting what they had fought for. Though Rosalie and Emmett were a little resented Carlisle was helping them as much as he could and it seemed that they would soon see results.

I was surprisingly calm. Maybe I still was in shock, I don't know, this was so much beyond anything I had ever imagined. But I was hopeful, this time wouldn't be like the first one, I would never have to cradle an inert little body in my arms again. If Carlisle and I were immortal, so was our baby.

All in all, I was alright; the one who was completely out of himself was my husband. It was Carlisle's first experience with parenthood and he looked scared to death. When my girls were pregnant they would always complain about the boys' over protectiveness and paranoia and it did seem that there couldn't be anything worse. My Carlisle, always wise, always experienced, always the one in control of everything, just wouldn't stop asking me how I was, how I felt, if I noticed anything strange, if… He was so worried about us that he hardly even let me walk by myself. Once, when I tried to walk downstairs, the second he saw me he ran to the bottom of the stairs and held his hand out.

"Wait, wait, wait, let me help you. Careful, honey."

I couldn't help but smiling. "Thanks, Carlisle, love. But don't worry, darling, I'm just pregnant, that's it."

"Yes. That's it. You're pregnant. You're pregnant."

He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly

"How is it?" he asked, tenderly caressing my belly, inside which our child was barely perceptible.

"Perfect, as far as I can tell."

"And how do you feel?"

"Great"

"Dizziness? Morning sickness? Cravings?"

I giggled. "I _do_ need some mountain lion. Perhaps we should go hunting this evening."

"We don't need to, there's blood in the fridge."

"Yeah, but I would like to hunt it myself. I need the rush, the movement."

"Won't it hurt you?"

"Nooo," I said, exasperated but unable to get upset with him. "We'll be fine," I reassured him as I patted his cheek, half scolding, half comforting.

"Really? Don't you prefer me to go alone and get you some-"

"_Carlisle_."

"Sorry. It's just that I don't want anything to happen to you. You know you're everything to me, Esme, everything, now more than ever before. I love you."

"I love you, too. Now feed me."

We went hunting together and finally he allowed me to kill my own animals. Truth was, I had definitely felt more thirsty since I'd become pregnant, and I didn't want just any animal, no, it had to be a specific one. The vampire version of pregnancy cravings, I guess. At least I didn't have to deal with nauseas, dizziness, and all those ugly symptoms I remembered only too well. The girls envied me because of that; I remembered it had been particularly difficult for Alice when she was carrying Hershey. But I'd had my own share when I was human, so we were even.

"Hershey was hell, but Leo was a piece of cake."

"With my twins I had two weeks of, like, boom! I thought I'd die. But after that everything became so smooth I didn't even notice I was pregnant."

"Then you don't feel anything, Esme?"

"No, not at all. Only the need for some lion."

We laughed. And only then we realized Rosalie had left.

Later on, I tried to talk to her, but she said she needed to hunt and disappeared in the woods.

_Rosalie's POV_

It's not that I was envious. Well, yeah, I _was_ envious. You would be, too, if you were in my place, ok? They all had that experience, the very one I had always wanted, why? Why them and not me? Why was I denied the very thing I desperately craved while everyone else could enjoy it? I mean, I knew it was no one's fault, they hadn't done it to upset me, yet it hurt like hell.

I ran to the woods to avoid showing them how I felt, because I knew it wouldn't be fair. Still, it wasn't long before I heard footsteps behind me.

"Come here, darling. Come on, it's ok. There, there, that's my girl."

I let Emmett wrap his massive arms around me and leaned against his chest. He put my legs on his lap and my head on his shoulder; it felt like being inside a warm, safe nest. I cuddled closer while he kissed my hair. It was just so like him to know where I was, why, and exactly what I needed without my telling him anything. We were completely synchronized.

"Now, now, this isn't the brave Rose I know. She would have never run away like a coward. My Rosalie faces things as they come and kicks everyone's butt every single time."

"I'm sick of it."

"What?"

"Everything. Always being a millimeter away from what I want and always losing it. Seeing everyone get exactly that and rub it in my face."

He patted my shoulder. "But now it's different. There's a chance this big we will get our own little baby. I mean, if Carlisle and Esme could, why not us? We're already trying, and we're sure as hell not giving up. We have all the time in the world to try and we won't stop. Don't give up, my love."

"It's not easy. I mean, we're the ones who have been trying everything for decades."

"I know, but remember this happens even in humans. They try desperately for years, then give up, and it's then when it hits. And it works because now they're relaxed, they've stopped overworrying and obsessing. Try to do the same, Rose, just relax. No more tension."

"You're right. I should really stop stressing so much. It's just that… Emmett, I'm so tired!"

And there it was, a painful sob fighting its way out of my chest. One of the things I had never liked about our nature was how we cried. Dry sobs hurt a lot more, cutting and suffocating you. They would get stuck in your throat, and you knew they would only wash away with the very tears that would never come, and for a second it seemed that the crying would be stuck there forever. I cried in quick, fast sobs and held Emmett as tightly as I could. He patted my head and shoulders, rubbing my back and cooing nonsense in my ear. I don't know how much time passed before I calmed down.

"Thank you," I murmured. I took his face in my hands and kissed him.

"Don't worry, my love, I understand how you feel. Don't think this doesn't piss me, too; I'm just as jealous as you are. But," and here his eyes twinkled in the most Emmett-ish way, "if we want a baby, we certainly won't get it by staying here, whining. Sooo… let's get to work."

And as we rolled on the grass I didn't feel envious anymore.


	52. Schmutzig! Schmutzig!

**Hi there. So, you're punishing me for my delay by not reviewing, huh? Mean… -.- **

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Schmutzig! Schmutzig!**

"That was all you heard?"

"Yes, Master. They're just being sugar-happy. It's all butterflies and flowers for them. They suspect nothing about our watching them."

"Perfect. Good girl. Make sure it stays that way."

"Yes, Master."

Aro scanned the table. All his most powerful elements were there: at his right, Jane and Alec, at his left, his brothers. Chelsea, Renata, Felix, every single talented vampire was present at the meeting.

"This is a most delicate situation, not to mention dangerous," he told them. "It will require hard work, organization and perhaps even luck."

"Master," began Afton, "the Cullens are the second strongest clan, after us. Shouldn't we make an alliance with someone who could help us? Ask the Romanians, perhaps?"

Aro's reply was sharp. "No. I don't want the Romanians involved. While we find out more about this, it must be kept in absolute secrecy. Otherwise we risk either betrayal or word getting to the Cullens. If they have even the slightest clue they'll call Tanya and maybe those werewolves that live in their area and everything would be lost. It would be a total disaster."

"But the Cullens won't give up their child so easily."

"I know. That's why we have to take them by surprise."

"Master…" began Chelsea, but fell silent immediately, as if regretting whatever she had been about to say.

"Yes?"

"Oh, no, I just was thinking… but no, it's nothing."

"Go ahead, my dear. Let us hear your idea."

"Well, I was thinking that... since we're going to attack to get one of them… shouldn't we… make a move for… someone else, too?"

Aro tensed and leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that… we're risking too much, we should get more benefits. We could try to get not only the child, but another talented one of their clan. Edward, for example. Or Alice…"

Looks were exchanged around the table. The brothers looked thoughtful. Jane looked back and forth between Chelsea and her Master, as if expecting something big to happen in any second. After minutes of endless silence, Aro's lips moved again.

"Not half-bad…" he whispered almost to himself. "Heavens know we could do with those two."

"The girl is gorgeous."

"Brother, we shouldn't let our desires rule our minds. Yet. But this idea is quite good: Edward and Alice Cullen are extremely strong, given their powers, and would be a delightful addition to our little family."

"But they've got kids. Two each."

"Yeah," said Aro, thoughtful, "I'm trying to find a way to sort that out."

"Alice's we could try to keep," suggested Marcus. "Both parents are talented… surely the kids have their share."

"Maybe… but a big maybe. We have to be careful, otherwise we'll end up trying to keep everyone."

"Then let's start by seeing who we must take down."

"You are completely right, Caius. Obviously, their leader, and his mate. Isn't it funny, precisely the parents of this new creature are the ones who will go first. But it's a necessity; for as long as the Cullens have Carlisle they'll be impossible to separate. And also… we could do without the big one, Emmett."

"But he's strong," intervened Demetri.

"We've already got one like that," explained Caius, looking at Felix. "We have no need of letting another Cullen live. The less, the better. Plus, bringing Emmett down would leave Rosalie available."

No one argued after that.

"Ok, so we eliminate Carlisle, Esme and Emmett, keep Rosalie, Edward, Alice and her

children," summed up Alec. "What about Jasper, Bella, and Edward's kids?"

"Bella… that's a difficult one." Aro considered the situation for a while before continuing. "Since she's still human, it's hard to tell. But no, I don't think we should take that chance. The children… well, Edward is already a tortured soul, isn't he? Would it really affect him more if Bella suffered a fatal accident while driving Kristen and Robert to, uh, the park or something? And Jasper… hm, Jasper… he _could_ be useful, I suppose, but if we already have Chelsea, Alec and Jane…"

"It's very important to keep Alice happy," said Felix, "The talent she has is the most useful of them all, and we need the girl to be at her most cooperative if we want to really use her."

"Wouldn't it be better to make her 'available', like her sister?"

"Oh, Demetri, do not worry about that," laughed Aro. "I'm fairly certain dear Jasper wouldn't mind to… let's say, collaborate. Surely our Jane would be able to convince him, isn't that right, my darling?" he stroked Jane's cheek.

"Yes, Master," smiled the beautiful demon.

Little Jane had been rather quiet during the session. But the calmness in her velvet eyes shouldn't be mistaken or underestimated. Her head, crowned with a golden chignon artfully created by her brother, was racing and making plans. There wasn't anyone she hated more than the Cullens; the only ones she had ever felt so strongly about were long destroyed by her own hand. Yet her hatred did not blind her. She was aware of Alice's potential, more aware than she would have liked. She knew how valuable the girl's talent was, the power it represented and how far it could reach if properly exploited. She had of course realized that if there was anyone who could really compete with her own torturing power it was precisely Alice Cullen. But, more important than anything else, Jane knew how much Aro wanted the girl and how strongly he regretted having let her go during her last visit, with her ill daughter. She knew that if her Master ever got another chance to posses the psychic, he would not let it go. That was in fact where Jane's true rivalry and danger was. She could not, would not allow all the years of effort to go wasted. She wasn't going to give up her rank and her own desires, as simple as that.

Alec perceived the look of determination in his sister's eyes, a flash he had only seen during her two most legendary revenges. Under the table, he took her hand and their eyes met. He probably wouldn't sympathize with her ideas, but still, if there was anyone Jane could always count on was her twin, her real blood brother and not a deceit like the Cullens' pseudo family. One corner of her lips curved upwards and her attention returned to the rest of the meeting.

"Do we wait until Esme gives birth or do we keep her here until she's due?"

"I would say that she should be here as soon as possible to ensure our success. That would also allow us to observe the growth and development of the creature."

"Yeah, that's true. Then we must attack as soon as possible. Jane, Alec, you'll be in charge of organizing everyone, the sooner the better. This is not the first time we do something like this, so it should be no problem, right?"

"Yes, Master," said Alec confidently. To tell the truth, he had been looking forward to this moment for quite a while and now, being in charge of the operation made him feel more than excited. He could imagine only too well the glory he and his sister would achieve if the mission was successfully accomplished, not to mention the personal satisfaction. He didn't realize, but in that moment his eyes glowed with the same intensity as his sister's had just a moment before.

"It's settled, then," said Aro with a smile of confidence and satisfaction. "Start working. You can use anything and anyone. Do as you please and be ready to attack in a week. We have only one chance. Do not disappoint me."

"We won't, Master," answered the twins together.

They rose from their chairs, bowed and left the room. Demetri, Chelsea and Felix followed them, repeating a pattern they had gone through many times. Across the ocean, in another house, during another reunion, a girl gasped in shock, her eyes empty and her mind trapped in the future.

**Oh, and btw, there's a poll in my profile on whether Carlisle and Esme should have a girl, a boy, or twins. Don't forget to vote!**


	53. Mine

**You are the best thing / That's ever been mine /… beautiful song indeed.**

**Hello! Sorry I took so long, but I've been desperately trying to save my school year. Wish me luck! Anyway, I wanted to finish this before my birthday (tomorrow Saturday), and luckily I did it.**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**P.S. : Twitter crowd, do follow AroOfVolterra and JanetteVolturi. They're so awesome!**

**Mine**

.

_Edward's POV_

She leaned forward, her eyes lost and a look of scared doe.

"Alice, love, what is it?" asked Jasper.

My sister was still trapped in her vision, growing more and more scared. She had enough reasons. The images that flashed inside her mind were horrifying. I could tune my mind off, she couldn't. She whimpered quietly and then was finally freed. She jumped and gasped as if she'd just been drowning.

"Alice, what is it? What happened? What did you see? What happened?" asked Jasper over and over as he cradled her in his arms.

The rest of the family was now surrounding her, too, worried, soothing, and curious.

"It's ok," she said. "I'm fine. It was only a… a foreign vision. I don't know why I got it, it has nothing to do with us… ugly, though."

Jasper held her tighter against his chest while the others tried to comfort her. Only I knew what a lie she'd just said. Our eyes met, the question painted clearly in mine. _Please, don't tell on me, _she thought. _You saw it. It's too horrible. Let's wait and talk to Carlisle first, ok? Please._ I nodded. _Thanks._

_It wasn't a random vision, was it? _Carlisle's voice now, he had obviously noticed the brief dialogue between Alice and me. More discreetly now, I shook my head. Worry tinted his thoughts, all directed towards Esme and his child. I wished he was the one to read minds, so I could give him some reassurance; sadly, I had to wait, and I wasn't even sure there was any reassurance at all. Between Alice, Carlisle and I, we managed to send everyone to their own house and convince Esme that we weren't up to anything evil or wrong when we locked ourselves in Carlisle's study. The only one who did notice and resist, was, of course, Jasper.

"You don't fool me, darling," he said, putting his arms around Alice's waist. "Why don't you trust me?" _What did you see, for goodness' sake? Tell me you're not in danger, tell me our children aren't in danger. If anything happened to you… _It was always interesting to listen to Jasper's thoughts when he was focused on Alice. Of course, he was affectionate with her and their kids, but in his thoughts there was invariably a million times more love and intensity, something he'd never be able to express with words.

"I do trust you, Jazz, I was only waiting for the right moment." _ Please, stop asking, please. I hate lying to you and I can't tell you everything I saw._

In the end it was Carlisle, Jasper, Alice and I in the study. We looked at my sister, waiting for her to describe her vision.

"They have found out about Esme's baby. I don't know how, I truly don't know." She didn't need to explain who 'they' are. "I think we are being spied on. I should have seen that, I'm so sorry. I'll be more careful from now on."

"It was my responsibility, too, Al. Mind-reader, remember?"

"But what exactly did you see?"

"They… they are curious. They don't understand how Esme was able to conceive and they want to find out. Carlisle, they… they want your baby, they're after it."

Carlisle's thoughts were so furious and so terrified they didn't even form words. Jasper used all his strength to help him and little by little he recovered.

"So they want my child, uh? Well, that's going to cost them. They don't expect us to step aside and hand them our baby, do they?"

"Of course not. They know we'll fight and they're ready to strike back. They are preparing for a battle and they don't care who they have to destroy. They know they'll have to kill some of us, but they're actually pleased with the idea." After a pause she added, "It's not only the baby they're after."

Jasper looked at her with twice the worry he felt before, if possible. "What do you mean, Alice? Who else are they looking for?" he already knew the answer, he knew she's a valuable asset, powerful and strong, but he was still desperately hoping to be wrong.

"They want Edward, Rosalie, and me. You too, Jazz, I saw you among the ones they'd like to keep."

"So they want me," he said, "but what about our children? Edward's family?"

She shook her head and I looked down, already knowing her answer. "I didn't see them. Well, I think I caught a glimpse of ours, but perhaps I imagined it. For Bella and your kids, Edward… they have other plans."

I nodded. I already knew this.

"And everyone else?" asked Carlisle.

"Emmett they'll try to eliminate as soon as possible. And as soon as they get the baby, you and Esme will go, too."

Carlisle looked down, understanding. All four minds were racing, making plans to save our family and ourselves.

"How much time do we have?" asked Jasper.

"A week."

While Carlisle and Jasper digested and considered the news I turned to Alice. I had noticed that she wasn't being entirely truthful about her vision. Or better said, she was keeping things to herself. I saw in her thoughts that it was because of Jasper that she didn't dare reveal the plans Aro had made for Rosalie and herself, and that she would only share that with Rose, given that their husbands were the most jealous and in their attempt to protect their girls they risked getting hurt or causing greater trouble.

"_You know I would never let anything like that happen to you girls," _I decided to tell her. Her eyes unfocused briefly as she saw that.

"_I know, Edward. Thank you. But right now you have to focus on Bella and your children, we have to __hide them, make sure they don't get to them."_

This last though she did express out loud, and soon she began discussing with Carlisle different options and plans. We knew the Volturi were hunting us, had been spying on us, and were now about to kill half the family and enslave the other half, but we didn't know who the spy was and who had been put in charge of the whole attack. We also didn't know why the hell they wanted to hurt us, but that hardly ever mattered. A plan was quickly formed and the entire family convoked to an emergency meeting in the dining room.

"You saw that Alice had a rather troubling vision today," began Carlisle. "And, of course, you also realized that it was not a foreign vision." Nods around the table confirmed that no one had been fooled. "Ok. We wanted to wait until we could not only give you the problem, but also a solution. Let's say this straight: we're in the greatest danger ever. We're being hunted by the Volturi, openly and until the last consequences. I must admit, our chances aren't very good. But that doesn't mean we won't defend ourselves. Let's not forget that we're the second most powerful family, and that we have allies who I'm sure will be willing to help us. This is the situation."

Carlisle narrated Alice's vision to the rest of the family. The tenor of everyone's thoughts turned dark, scared and worried. Under the table, Esme caressed her stomach while her mind screamed the determination not to lose yet another child. She was fierce, more that I'd ever seen her, and now that she knew it was her baby they were after her rage was taking murderous tints. In that moment I was proud of her.

"I am sure you realize," continued Carlisle, "that the one we must protect the most is Esme," everyone nodded in agreement. "Also, Emmett, Bella, and all four children."

"Actually, Carlisle, I think we should do something about Bella," intervened Jasper, his tactical instincts kicking in. "We cannot afford to keep her human during this war. I strongly suggest turning her into one of us, the sooner the better."

His idea hit me by surprise. I looked at my Bella. If she felt any fear, she never let it show.

"Love, I think Jasper is right," she said. "Human I'm an obstacle, but if you change me I could even be useful. We have one week, just enough time. I think we should do it."

"Just like that? So soon?"

"Edward, don't you see? If I'm not a vampire by the end of the week they'll kill me. They'll kill Kristen and Robert, too. We all have to be as strong as possible. It's the only way."

I looked at her, her warm, soft features, and knew she was right.

"Before midnight," I promised.

"Ok, then Bella will be stronger when they attacked," said Jasper, reassured. "Then, like Carlisle said, we focus on Esme, Kristen, Robert, Hershey and Leo." When he said his children's names he couldn't help looking at them, both asleep in his and Alice's arms, and for a moment his thoughts were overflowing with love and fear for them. He recovered quickly, though, and went back to the strategy. "I suggest we seek shelter with either Tanya or the wolves."

"The wolves?" asked Emmett, completely taken by surprise.

"Yeah. No one could expect a clan of vampires to hide with a pack of werewolves. They wouldn't look for us there. If Sam agrees, we'd be safe for long enough to counter-attack."

"And of course they wouldn't want to miss this fight, and I can't imagine them siding with the Volturi," said Rosalie. "We should give it a try."

The others agreed, too. No one was pleased with an alliance with the werewolves, but we all could see how useful it could be.

We decided that we would all stay together from now on. No one would leave Carlisle and Esme's house under any circumstance, because everyone was vulnerable, everyone in a list: either the ones who must be killed or the ones who must be enslaved. We weren't sure about the children, and that had us parents particularly worried. Therefore, we took no time in moving to Carlisle and Esme's house. Once we made sure all the kids would be safe and once Alice confirmed that They wouldn't be arriving until after a week could we relax a tiny bit. Well, of course I couldn't, since my Bella would soon be going through the excruciating process of transformation. This wasn't how I'd imagined that moment, not at all. I wanted it to be as smooth as possible, with no rush, giving her room and time to digest the changes she'd experience. Instead, we were getting this, a transformation right in the middle of a crisis, when even our life was uncertain, when we feared for our children.

"Go relax for a while," she told me. "I'll call you when it's time, ok? Just go with the boys and breathe."

Jasper and I went to the garden, kicked out by our wives. Soon Emmett joined us. While we walked around Jasper said how worried he was about his wife and children.

"Jasper, I don't think they'd hurt your kids," said Emmett. "They'll want to keep Alice happy so that she can be useful to them, and if they touched the children she would obviously refuse. Keep an eye directly on her instead, remember what will happen to her and Rose if they catch them."

"What?"

"Didn't Alice tell you?" _Oops. I thought he knew. _Emmett instantly regretted having told Jasper about this.

"Tell me what?"

"What she saw… she told Rosalie… I thought…" _Good one, Emmett, you jerk! Why don't I ever mind my own business?_

"Get to the point, for goodness' sake!"

"Well… Alice saw that she'll be given to Aro, and that Caius will keep Rosalie. You know, as… mates."

"What!" _No no no no NO! _Jasper's mind screamed its refusal. It definitely had been a bad idea to tell him. When it came to Alice he was extremely jealous, perhaps a bit too much, and only she could calm him down.

"Hey, Jasper, bro, breathe," I tried to soothe him. "You know those girls are fierce as hell, they could never get to them."

"I wanna see them try," said Emmett. "If any of them even thinks of my Rose…" Emmett's thoughts were full of their own jealousy and possessiveness. The Volturi had definitely picked the wrong Cullen men to mess with. Had it been Bella or Esme, well, of course we'd have fought, but Carlisle and I are quieter, willing to discuss and sort things out as peacefully as possible. With Emmett and Jasper there were only two choices: you backed off or you paid the consequences in a rather lethal way. And that's what they were preparing themselves for.

Luckily, in that moment Alice, Rosalie and Esme came out of the house, right into the garden where we were.

"Bella wants to see you," told me Rosalie. "She's with Carlisle, they're about to start."

I rushed inside, not in the slightest ready to see the love of my life become a vampire.

_Jasper's POV_

As soon as Edward disappeared, with Esme behind, I turned to Alice. Anger and impotence boiled inside me when her smile told me she was actually going to hide the rest of the information she had from me.

"Alice, we need to talk," I said as calmly as I could.

"Ok, Rose, let's give these two some space," said Emmet as he put his arm around my sister's waist and led he away.

"Jazz, what is it?" she asked in her soft voice.

I couldn't help myself –I took her face in my hands and kissed her intensely. I felt her surprise at my sudden assault, but she soon giggled and kissed me back, her arms around my neck.

"Jazz, what is it?" she insisted when I finally was done kissing her.

I looked into her eyes –black, thirsty, and finally asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"You know. Your vision. Your _full_ vision."

"Oh. That."

"Oh that. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you would react like this, Jasper, and there's no point."

"There's no point? Are you telling me that there's no point in telling me that my wife will not only be enslaved, but also abused and humiliated? And my sister too? And-"

"See? See how you're getting all hysterical? This is why I didn't want to tell you anything."

"You told Emmett."

"No, I told Rosalie and I guess she discussed it with Emmett. I told her because she needed to know. I admit it, there _is_ a chance that we'll end up with Aro and Caius as, uh, mates."

"War trophies, more likely."

"It could be, it could be. Listen, Jazz, I don't want us to fight over this. We need to be together, as a family. This vision I had will not become true. If it does, more than half the family will die in a week. Do you think I want that? But we won't let it happen. What I saw was a warning, not a fact, ok? Besides, do you really think I'll let myself get caught? I thought you knew me better, love." She said the last part with a hint of a smile, and she caressed my face.

"Edward said the same, that you both were fierce," I finally admitted, smiling, too.

"There you go. Nothing will separate us, Jasper, that much I can assure you."

She kissed me like only she knew and I couldn't be angry at her anymore.

She led me upstairs, to one of the rooms Carlisle and Esme had prepared for us and I finally gave up. I loved her passionately all night long, watching how she writhed with pleasure under me and enjoying the knowledge that she'd never said anyone else's name so many times, with such intensity. But I couldn't help myself –I had to insist on how completely she belonged to me.

"You're mine, Alice," I almost growled. "Mine, mine, mine, mine, now and forever."

"A-always, Jazz," she panted. "Always… yours… always…"

She rested in my arms afterwards, and I held her tightly to feel her tiny body secure next to me. I wanted to enjoy her as much as possible, because now more than ever we didn't know how much time we had left. Each second brought us closer to Nothing.


	54. Crystal Visions

**So what's up?**** I know I've been absent **_**forever**_** but I've been trying to save my school year. Now that it seems that I will and since I'm happy cuz I've just rocked my Chinese exam I have finished this chapter. I'm so excited about the MTV Movie Awards! I have voted, like, a zillion times. There's Harry Potter and Black Swan and Inception, so we need to vote a lot !**

**What else, what else? Hm… no, I think that's it.**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**P.S. : Looking for chapter titles in my iTunes… never a good sign. That I have done it for the past 7 chapters… please call the asylum.**

**Crystal Visions**

_Jane's POV_

I paced around my room in slow strides, thinking. There were only two days left before we went to attack the Cullens and I was still undecided about what to do. I was being forced to make a choice that would invariably hurt someone, no matter what I chose. The only two beings I have ever loved and my own selfishness were getting in my way and I knew I would always regret the decision I was about to make, whichever it was.

Damn Cullens. Damn Cullens and their stupid baby and their stupid mind reader and their stupid sexy Barbie. And damn their stupid, stupid fortune-teller. She was the main obstacle, the one who was causing all of my debates with myself. Well, perhaps the other sister too. I went out to the garden, sat beside the orchids I'd tended to during centuries and tried to organize the information I have.

There were a lot of things that Aro wanted from the Cullens: their status, their power, their influence, their new baby, Edward, Rosalie and Alice. And my Master had trusted me to provide him all these things. Hm… Actually I _was_ able to get them all. Their political relevance would be gone automatically to us once the Cullens were dissolved, or their leader killed. I was actually quite looking forward to go back to the times where my Family had no rival on Earth, so I would crush the Cullens' status happily. Edward… I wasn't so worried about him. Though good, his power didn't rival mine since mine was always so much fun to play. Besides, mine was unique and his wasn't. I almost wanted him to come, so I could have a laugh seeing how long Aro could stand him before kicking him out for being such a pessimist.

The kid… well, as much as I tried to hide it, I was really curious about it. I had never expected something like that could be possible, and if the whole thing ended successfully it would open up a whole new world of possibilities for vampires. Maybe I… And also, not needing human females to breed would mean that vampires as a race would be purified and therefore stronger, without the weaker, inferior hybrids. The idea pleased me so much... There was nothing in the world I despised and hate more than humans. Except…

The girls. Rosalie and Alice. Beautiful, strong and impossible to seduce. They had already been given to Caius and Aro as trophy mates, so sure they all were about the victory. And here's where things got interesting. I did not have any intention of bringing those girls into the castle and therefore I would not bring them. As easy as that? Not really: I had to think of what to do with them. Well, Rosalie would be easy. I'd just kill her and pretend she escaped. That was a pretty believable thing to say, they would keep looking for her but the threat would be eradicated forever. And even in the remote case that she did come here, it was Caius who was interested in her, not Aro. Whatever happened between Rosalie and Caius was completely uninteresting to me.

It was Alice I worried about. I couldn't bring her to my Master under any circumstance, that much was obvious. If I did I would be ruining both my professional and emotional interests; I would lose her rank and any chance I could ever have with… well, you get the idea, don't you? I _could_ kill her, but the death of someone like her was bound to be noticed by our whole society, and if my Master heard of it he'd blame it on the hunting party, which was casually led by my brother and me. No, killing her would eventually backfire. Would I therefore be forced to oblige? I couldn't think of anything else to do.

Don't think I'm selfish. Well, I am, but this time I was thinking about my brother, too. It had taken us centuries to earn the rank, influence and respect we enjoyed now. We'd had obstacles and we'd gotten rid of them all, we'd fought against people and events, and ended always victorious. He had always been there for me, helping me with my projects and schemes, even since we were humans he had been there to protect me from our father. I couldn't let him down.

One of the things that angered me the most was that we were about to lose our position to _children._ Even their wonderful almighty Carlisle was younger than _me_, so what was all the fuss about? That goddamn Alice was a _newborn_! It just made me so angry to be scared of a baby…

"What are we going to do, Alec?" I complained.

"Let's just do what Aro wants us to," he said simply.

"_What?_" This I hadn't expected.

"Yes. Let's follow our orders."

"And then what, Alec?" I couldn't help getting angry at him. "Be replaced by two fair attractions and their little tricks? Let Aro's desire for the girl win over our power? Allow them to-"

"No no no no, no, Jane, of course not, don't ever think that. Listen carefully. We'll give them what they want but…"

He leaned over me and began whispering in my ear. Little by little, I smiled again. My brother was a genius.

_Alice's POV_

"With the wolves, then?"

"Yes. It's our only choice."

"And what about Tanya's family?"

Carlisle shook his head. "We'd be putting them in too much danger. The Volturi know they are our best friends, so as soon as they noticed we're gone they'd realize where we are. It would destroy us all. On the other hand, though they do know we're at peace with the pack they have no idea that our relationship is actually friendly, so it will be the last place they'll think of."

"I think it could work," said Bella. You would have never guessed that four days ago she was just some human, immortality suited her so beautifully. She was very in control, sure of her actions, and though of course she had totally slipped during her first hour she was still focused. It had definitely been a good idea to change her. "If Carlisle and Alice go, the wolves could be convinced of helping us."

When she said this Jasper looked at me and I in turn looked down. It was difficult to admit that I still missed Jacob, and I knew it was difficult for Jazz, too. Under the table, I held his hand. He squeezed it, comforting me.

Family meetings, which had been quite an event just a week ago, were now held twice a day. It was the moment to put together all the information we had accumulated: my visions, Jasper and Emmett's strategies, Carlisle's reasoning, etc. Esme's pregnancy had begun to show, and seeing the curve in her stomach made the danger more evident than ever.

We were all doing what we could to help the others and hide our own fear, but it wasn't easy. Edward and Bella were just beginning to adjust to her being a newborn, something more than difficult even in normal, peaceful circumstances, now with this almost inevitable war… Bella and Edward, and Jasper and I couldn't stop worrying about our children's safety, after all, we knew that the Volturi wouldn't hesitate before getting them out of the way if that's what it took to get Edward and me. We wouldn't let any of the kids out of our sight for a single second and we dedicated two rooms to make sort of a fortress to keep them safe. Emmett and Carlisle kept Esme and Rose practically in a crystal box, too. Though times indeed.

Next morning, we went to see the wolves, our one and only hope. It was just Carlisle and me. Carlisle, because he was the head of the family and me because of my friendship with Jacob. We hoped that my presence would bring it up and remind them that they could refuse to help a vampire, but not the friend of a brother.

And yes, just as predicted, Jacob's face lit up when he saw me.

"Alice!" he exclaimed. "Hadn't heard from you in a while! How are you?" he hugged me.

I sighed. "Not so good, Jake. We need your help."

"Of course. What's going on? What can we do?"

The rest of the pack had joined us by then, some in their human forms, some as wolves. We sat down there in the forest and Carlisle began.

"My wife is pregnant," he said simply. Low gasps and whispers circulated among the wolves. It was understandable: they'd just found out that their worst enemy could reproduce. "My wife is pregnant and the Volturi have found out and they are after our child. Not only that: they want to get Edward, Alice and Rosalie at all costs. In other words, we're being hunted."

Again, the whispers. In the human voices I heard shock, incredulity, even fear. They were all aware that this was no game. If they helped us, it would mean a full-scale war with the most powerful organization of all times. It could mean some lost lives.

"And what do you want us to do?" asked Sam gravely.

"We need shelter," I said. "A place to hide that the Volturi won't suspect. Vampires and werewolves are supposed to be enemies, so though they know our family and yours are acquainted they can't guess there's even friendship between us." I looked at Jacob for emphasis and support. "Please," I begged. "They want to kill at least half the family, including our children. Help us save our children's lives."

More discussion among the wolves. Discreetly, I crossed my fingers. Carlisle put an arm around my shoulders and we waited. Finally, Sam spoke to us.

"All right," he said. "We will help you. Alice is Jacob's friend and we protect those who are special to our brothers. We're aware of the possibility of a war and we accept the challenge. If the war breaks out, we will be on your side. Don't think we haven't heard of the Volturi.

"There's a house on the other side of the reservation, and it hasn't been occupied for a few years. You can stay there. Some trees have grown around it, so it will be difficult to spot and our smell will hide yours. And also, as you said, no one will think you're there. You can move there whenever you want."

I couldn't hide my relief, and Carlisle either. His smile was wide and pure as he thanked the wolves.

"We are forever in your debt. There are no words to thank you. If you don't mind, we will move in tonight. I promise we won't be a nuisance: all our skills and talents are at your entire disposition for anything you need, as long as we live."

In the end we decided to move that very night. It was a good thing that the house had been unattended for so long; cleaning and conditioning it gave us something new to do before we went crazy with anxiety.

On our way there I saw Demi, in her human form despite our presence. She had grown, she was a young lady now, and on her way to be a total beauty. As we walked past her she stared at us. When I met her eyes, I had a funny feeling in my stomach, but I let it go. I was too nervous about our whole and didn't pay much attention to her.

How, how I wish I had.


	55. Half A Heart

**Hello! I know, such an obscene**** long time. But it was worth it: I saved my school year! Oh, I'm so, so happy… and now I have two months to do whatever I want and it's so delicious. I promise I won't take so long next time.**

**BTW, tonight is the premiere of A Better Life and I'm totally in love with Kristen and her outfit. I'm in love with Kristen, period.**

**Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

**Half A Heart**

And so the day had finally arrived. The day we would finally crush the Cullens once and for all. Alec and I had shaped a plan that could really work out. The only problem was, to make it all perfect we needed a spy. An infiltrate, who knew the Cullens' routine and movements. It was a practically impossible thing to find, since the happy-go-lucky, smiling sunbeams that were the Cullens had everybody on their side, and though we could see exactly how much advantage a spy could give us, we were forced to admit we would probably have to go blind.

It was the usual group: my brother, myself, Demetri, Felix and Chelsea. We had worked together for centuries and we had a full, unbeatable dynamic. We headed straight for the little town where those renegades lived and hoped for the best. When we arrived, however, we found a huge problem: their house was empty. Not went-to-work empty, but empty as in it hadn't been occupied for days, maybe weeks. Of course, their psychic must have seen we were coming. Stupid girl, always getting in my way! Now more than ever we needed an infiltrate, someone who could tell us where they were and how to get to them, but also now more than ever that seemed impossible to get. If they were hiding, they had an ally. It wasn't the Denali clan, we'd already checked, and we couldn't think of anyone else. They were acquainted with the wolves, but, could such a good relationship bloom between our species?

We had no choice but to postpone the plan until we had at least one clue about the Cullens' whereabouts. A week passed and we still got no results. I was about to give in to desperation when we met the little star we thought impossible to get.

We were simply exploring the forest, looking for their scent and finding old traces of it with a mixture of curiosity and repulsion, when we caught another one: werewolf. The scent was fresh, the wolf was probably somewhere near us. Excitement circulated among our group; everyone wanted a chance to not only dispatch the Cullens, but to catch a fight with one of those werewolves. In an unspoken agreement, everyone focused on finding the dog, and it didn't take us long to spot him: small, with dark, thick chocolate fur, and a figure that though slender looked muscular. Stupid wolves, they were even pretty.

He sprang and landed in front of us. He growled and in his black, shiny eyes I saw he also knew what we were. Curiously enough, though he was all alone and there were five of us, he tried to fight back instead of running away. His size made him fast and therefore hard to catch, but he still was no match for the guards, who had him pinned down in half a minute. He twisted and shook furiously as he saw himself prisoner, but he wasn't able to free himself. Felix was one second away from biting his head off when our little miracle happened. The werewolf changed from writhing to shaking and then phased back into his human form. Shock waves washed over us as we realized it wasn't a _he_, but a _she_.

She was a very young girl, still young enough to be called child, who twisted furiously under Demetri's body. He had her lying on her stomach, her arms pinned behind her back with one hand and her head pressed to the ground with the other. She was panting, but kept that fierce look her wolf self had had.

"Well, well, well," said Felix. "What do we have here? A female werewolf! Never killed one like you before. This will be so fun!"

"Don't kill me," she said. "I can be useful to you."

"Oh really?" asked Demetri sarcastically. "How can a little, stupid tiny werewolf girl ever be useful to us?"

"I'm part of the only pack of the area."

"Aw, listen, guys, she's part of a pack! And the only one of the area!"

"That means I know the Cullens', dumbass," she barked.

Laughter stopped at once. All eyes and attention focused on the werewolf girl. Why, she was a tough girl.

"You really do?" asked Alec.

"Yes. I know them and I hate them. I can see that you're the guys who want to get them, and I want to help you. I want to see them dead as much as you do."

"That sounds great, kid," began Felix, "but haven't you noticed one small, tiny detail? _No one knows where the damn Cullens are_. They have vanished."

"That's where I am better than you, big boy. _I _know where they are_._"

"Where are they?" I asked. She remained silent. "Where are they?" I repeated. Still no answer. And then the usual tickling ran through my veins as the force of my talents hit the slender, chocolate-colored body. She screamed, and writhed under Demetri's body, kicking and digging her fingers into the ground. When I stopped, she still had the guts to look up defiantly and stare at me.

"I won't tell you anything until this brute lets go of me," she panted

I sighed. "Demetri."

He moved aside, freeing the girl. Only then did we realize that she was entirely naked. Of course, werewolves always destroyed their clothes when they phased. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to cover herself with her arms and hair, until Alec took off his cloak and wrapped it around her.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"Well, little princess," said Demetri sarcastically. "We have fulfilled all your requests. Now speak."

She took a deep breath and started. "They're hiding with us in a house down the…"

_Jasper's POV _

As two more days passed and there still weren't any signs of alarm we began doubting. Not that we doubted _her_, of course, but was strange. She had never been wrong before, had never missed anything. The conclusion we drew after a meeting was even more worrying: what if there had been a change of plans and we'd be attacked from another side? Surely she would have seen it, right? But now we weren't so sure anymore.

"You all think I'm a failure now," she said sadly once we were alone.

"Of course not, baby," I tried to comfort her. "If you can't see anything, it's because there's nothing to see." _Or maybe it's the wolves, she can't see them and maybe they're blocking her visions, _I thought, but I didn't dare say this aloud. She looked depressed enough without it.

"But there _must_ be something. They couldn't have backed off so easily. Makes no sense. Jazz, I'm so scared…" she pressed herself against my chest and I wrapped my arms around her small body.

"I know, my love, I know. But listen, I would never, ever allow any harm to come to you or the children," I hugged her tighter.

"What if I miss something important? What if that makes Esme and her child, or our babies, or you-"

"Now, now, stop. None of that will happen, do you hear me?" I took her face between my hands and kissed her softly. "You will see when it comes, and even in the remote case you don't, well, aren't we good fighters? We are perfectly able to defend ourselves; now that Bella is a vampire, too, there isn't one of us that would be left unprotected. Don't be afraid, darling, I will protect you and our children to death."

I hugged and kissed her, and used my talent to make her feel better. It was only superficial, but at least I could provide her with some comfort. How I wished I could apply my power to myself.

_Jane's POV_

Thanks to the little wolf traitor we had a full, effective plan in no time. She gave us all the details about the Cullens' routines and the strategy flowed. Aro had insisted that he wanted Edward and Alice to go freely to him, so we weren't allowed to take them, but knowing when their softest spots would be totally unprotected made up for the restraint. This was mostly Alec's plan, and it was brilliant. We started with the wolf girl making sure the coast was clear. Her pack trusted that she would be guarding the Cullens' instead of betraying them, so they wouldn't interfere. According to her, Alice and Jasper were hunting, while Carlisle –always the extremely responsible man- hadn't been able to help himself and was at the hospital checking on a patient, and Edward and Bella were at their old house looking for some documents. That meant that Rosalie, Esme and all four children were inside this little house in wolf territory, shielded only with hope.

We opened the door and went upstairs as fast as we could, knowing their senses would reveal us to them in no time. We opened the door to the improvised nursery and found, just as we hoped, Rosalie and Esme, looking after the four children. As they saw us, their faces filled with surprise and shock, and, curiously enough, so did ours. No one, absolutely no one had expected to actually see Esme pregnant, but the unmistakable signs were there for us to admit that half of what we'd believed in was false. The moment she recognized us, her hands flew to her stomach and a fierce, protective spark appeared in her eyes.

They had seemed totally peaceful before seeing us; however, they took no time to switch to fight mode. Even though there were six of us and there were only one and a half of them –Esme's pregnancy forced her to be more careful and therefore slower-, alone with four toddlers, they would not give up so easily. They stood between us and the children, Esme two centimeters behind Rosalie, who was crouched and baring her teeth.

Felix and Demetri approached them, and Felix soon started with the cruel mockery he always played on our targets.

"Oh, Rosie, haven't you been taught manners?" he said. He turned to look at Esme and back to Rosalie. "I would have thought Esme here would have told you how to welcome visitors."

He touched her hair and she bit him in the hand. In return he held her by the wrists and as she tried to break free he growled. "I don't think it's a good idea to fight, Rosie. You and your mommy are quite alone, it seems. Why don't you just cooperate with us?"

"Please," she said, and for the first time it was seen how very scared she really was, "don't hurt the children, don't hurt Esme. Do anything you want with me, but leave them alone."

"You might have noticed you are not in the position to ask anything, sweetheart. As for your beloved kids… I don't know, I think Aro would like to see them, it's been quite a while since the last time. What do you think, Jane?"

"Absoultely," I smiled. "Aro would love to see how much the Cullen children have grown."

As Alec made an attempt to approach the cots, Esme, whom no one was restraining, jumped at him. Chelsea stopped her quickly, and then Demetri held her by the arms. Rosalie began twisting in Felix's arms and he tightened his grip.

"Esme, calm down," said Demetri. "You and your child are precious to us and we don't want to hurt you, but we will if you force us to. For your own good and you baby's, just cooperate, ok?"

"Please," she implored. "Not the children."

"Don't worry," I told her. "We will not hurt them. It's just that Aro wants Alice and Edward to come on their own, with a motivation, and what better motivation than… them." I looked at the toddlers, who had remained surprisingly quiet during the whole scene, and both women made another useless attempt to protect them. "Well, let's see… hm… which ones are Edward's?" I turned to Rosalie for an answer. She looked away, her lips pressed tightly together. I thought about torturing her until she spoke, but it was a waste of time and energy. I remembered that Edward had twins and those were easy to spot.

"So it's the little ones. Yes, they do look alike. Then… let's take the girl, she looks so cute…" I took her in my arms. "What's her name?"

"K-Kristen," mumbled Rosalie.

"Perfect," I handed her to my brother and approached Alice and Jasper's children. "Now, to make things fair, we'll take the boy. Ah, I remember him, Leo. Done, then. Esme, Rosalie, Aro asked specifically to see you, and he'll be delighted to greet you. As for Alice and Edward, I'm sure little Kristen and Leo will be more than enough reason to join us shortly."

I walked out of the room carrying Leo and everyone else followed, Felix and Demetri dragging the ever-fighting Cullens.

We had taken a car with us, knowing our numbers would be increased by not-too-willing passengers, and it was ready outside the little house. Felix drove, and afterwards we took our private plane back to Volterra, taking with us half a heart.

**And don't forget, beloved ones: R-E-V-I-E-W-!-!**


	56. Through Fire

**Hello! So sorry about the delay: blame it on Twitter**** and Tumblr. Gosh, I've been crying so much with the upcoming end of Harry Potter… you should have seen me ten minutes ago, I was rereading the Battle of Hogwarts and listening to Emma's speech and crying, crying, crying. Can't even imagine the hysteria that's waiting for me next week.**

**Anyway, read and review!**

**Enjoy!**

**I love you**

**XOXO**

**Through Fire**

_Sam's POV_

They were maddened. They were all beyond themselves. Alice and Jasper, and Edward and Bella, whose very children were gone, were way past hysteria.

"My son, my son, my son, where is he? Where's my boy?" repeated Alice time and time again as she sat on a couch and rocked herself violently.

"I knew it, I knew I shouldn't have left them alone, why did I do it, why!" growled Edward. Emmett was facing a wall, against which he continually banged his forehead, throwing a punch now and then.

"They've got my Esme," whispered Carlisle in a tone of absolute misery. "They've got my Esme and God knows if I'll get her back on time before they touch our baby."

We were all at the Cullens' house –there was no need to stay away from it now; the hiding plan had failed. When Carlisle and Emmett had come back from the hospital the scent they found was fresh, not even half an hour old. That's what tortured us the most: how very close we had been from preventing the disaster

We were all distressed by this unexpected, lethal blow, but it was definitely the parents that were going through the purest torture. Bella was in a statue-like condition, without showing any signs of life except in the blazing intensity of her eyes. On the opposite, Alice couldn't stop moving: she would stand up from the couch, walk around, run her fingers through her hair, keep walking, then sit down again, then stand up once more. Edward and Jasper were in a similar state. Carlisle, who had lost both his mate and his future child, suddenly looked fifteen years older and all light was gone from his eyes. Meanwhile, the two kids that had not been taken were under the care of our Quileute women, their parents too disturbed to look after them. We decided to respect the Cullens' pain for a while until Jacob, always the softer of the pack, approached Alice and tried to soother her.

"Alice, please, calm down, please."

"Calm down?" she turned around to face him. "You want me to calm down, Jacob? In case you haven't noticed, my son was kidnapped and I don't know how they're treating him, if he's still alive. And I should calm down?"

"I know, Alice and I understand, but you won't get anyw-"

"_You don't understand! _Not at all! It's not your baby who was taken, is it? You will understand only when your own child goes missing!" she spat the last words in a dry sob and was then comforted by her husband.

"We know who it was?" asked Emmett. His words were only to confirm what everyone was thinking. He looked at us and slowly, one by one, we nodded.

"Yes," answers Edward. "It was _them_. It has to be them. But there's something I don't get. It was obvious they'd take Esme and Rosalie; they'd always been after them. But why them, why the children, why our ki-" he stopped suddenly. Then he flew to his son's side. "Robert? What did you see? Please, honey, try to remember, please."

We all looked at them, and then it clicked. It was obvious. The children were there. The children had seen everything. They were essential to know the truth behind these kidnappings.

Edward struggled for a while, a frown of deep concentration as he studied his son's thoughts, and then he growled in fury.

"Of course, of course, _of course!_" he growls, hitting his head with his palm.

"What is it, Edward?" asked Carlisle.

"It's a clean strategy. They don't want our children, they want _us_," he looked at Alice, whose face also filled with despaired understanding.

"Aro wants us to join him," she began slowly, "and he knows we'd never do that, we'd never walk freely to him and with both our talents we're difficult to catch. That's why they took Leo and Kristen, so if we want them back we have no other option but to go to him. He knows we'll go."

The same pain in Edward's and Alice's faces spread to the rest of the family.

"No. You're not going," said Jasper suddenly. "I won't let you. There must be another way to rescue Leo."

"There's not! Look, Jasper, do you think I want to go to that place? But this isn't the time for excuses, or for trying to play safe. This is our son we're talking about, and I'll do anything it takes. Anything." She was almost shaking, her teeth bared and a burning gleam in her eyes.

Not far from them, another argument was taking place.

"But what will they do to you?"

"I don't know. But I will have to accept their terms, Bella, no matter what they are. For our Kristen."

Bella nodded. "They won't hurt you, will they? You're too valuable for that." She touched his face and shoulders, looking as if she would cry.

"They won't, love. Don't you worry about that. I'll do what I can to get out of there as soon as possible, but first of all I'll get our Kristen back to you." They hugged.

The room was silent for a while, everyone immersed in their own agony. After a while we heard someone in the distance. One of ours, Quil. In no time he had arrived and he had someone in his arms.

"Look who I found in the woods," he said quietly.

It was Demetria. She was semi unconscious, and seemed to have been beaten up. Her small body shook lightly, as if she had a fever. When the doctor approached her, it only took him one look to see everything.

"She's been through Jane, and beaten by Demetri," he explained. "I've seen them both play their tricks on humans before. Their style is unmistakable."

"It's confirmed it was them and why they did it, then."

He nodded. "And there's only one thing to do."

_Alice's POV_

"No. I can't let you go, Alice."

We were back in our house, our room, where I was packing and getting ready to leave as soon as possible. Hershey watched us from the bed, surprisingly quiet and following my movements with big eyes. Time and time again, I tried to fight the question that was haunting me since I realized my baby had disappeared. _Why didn't I see it? Why? WHY? It's what I do. Why didn't I see it?_

"Please, Jazz, please," I begged. "Don't you see that if I don't go they'll keep hurting our family and they could even hurt L-Le-" I couldn't bring myself to think about that, let alone say it.

"Don't you know what they'll do to you? What _he_'ll do to you?"

"Does it matter? Does anything matter anymore? I need my baby back, and I'll do anything I have to do. I'll sell my soul if I have to, do you hear me?"

"I cannot risk you. At least let me go with you."

"No, Jazz. It's only me they want and we cannot leave Hershey alone. You need to take care of her while this whole thing is over."

"But-"

"No ifs or buts. Hershey needs you and Leo needs me. Or what, do you want me to stay here and let them… let them…"

I let out a scream of desperation. Then I noticed Hershey's scared little eyes fixed on me, and I felt horrible. Poor baby, she must have been so confused…

"Forgive me, sweetie," I said, kissing her. "It's nothing to do with you, don't you worry. Everything will be fine. I won't take long and I'll come back with your brother and we will be happy again."

I moaned in frustration when I realized that I was saying those things, not to Hershey, but to myself, to prevent me from going crazy. Jasper, sensing that, came closer and slipped his arms around my waist.

After a pause, I gained the courage to ask him the one thing I needed the most. "Jasper… could you kiss me? Please?"

He turned me around, took my face in his hands, and kissed first my hair, then my forehead, and then my lips. In no time, his touch had become urgent and he was kissing me violently. He pushed me against a wall and his kiss grew fiercer and fiercer; his teeth scratched my lips and his fingers pulled my hair. He kissed me with impossible strength and when the kiss became the tightest hug ever, we were both sobbing.

"I'm so sorry, Alice," he said. "You're right, of course you are. It's just that it hurts too much."

"I know. Our baby, Jasper, how is he?"

"He's safe, I'm sure. They can't afford hurting him. You… you're the one they want the most, they need you happy. They won't hurt him."

"I'm so scared…"

"So am I. but one way or another, we'll make it out of this. We have an eternity."

"Yes." I sighed. "Let's be strong, my love. Hershey needs you and Leo needs me more than ever. I promise I'll do the impossible to have our boy back home as soon as possible."

"I know you will," he murmured. His chest was shaking and his voice was strained. "And I want you to know you are the most amazing, beautiful, perfect woman in this world, and I'm so proud to have you with me and call you my wife. One day, very soon, we'll look back and we'll see this and we'll laugh at it, the four of us together."

I nodded and kissed him. "Very soon. All of us together."

_Sam's POV_

"There is no choice, then?" Carlisle's sad voice whispered as he saw Alice and Edward return to the house, suitcases in hand.

Edward shook his head.

"Take care of them," he said softly. No one wondered who he was talking about. "Make sure they're protected and as safe as possible."

"Yes, Carlisle. We'll get them back to you, you'll see."

The doctor hugged his children. Then they kissed their partners; it was a quick goodbye, as if one more second than necessary would break their determination. They held their children in their arms; the babies could already talk and it was heartbreaking to hear their questions.

"Where's Kristen?"

"I'll get her back, Robert, don't you worry about that."

"Don't leave me, mama."

"I would never, ever leave you, you understand? I'll be back as soon as possible. With Leo. I'm going for Leo."

"Papa, I love you."

"You're my champion. Be there for your mom, ok? She needs you."

"One more kiss for your mama, Hershey, come on. Perfect. I love you, baby."

Edward and Alice turned to us.

"Good luck," I said, feeling stupid.

"Thanks, Sam. We appreciate everything you and your pack have done for us."

"I wish we could have been actually useful."

"Don't torment yourself. It was no one's fault. You have your share to deal with."

I thought of Demetria. What did that child know about the whole thing? I had to interrogate her as soon as she was stronger, or at least conscious.

"We'll try to keep in touch with you," said Alice softly. Edward sighed.

And they left.


	57. Just A Fragment Of You

**Harry ****Potter. Holidays. Belly dance classes. Twitter. Pole dance classes. A determination to see every single movie there is in the world with Kristen Stewart in it. Molotov Jukebox. Stephen King's The Shining. A thousand and one excuses, but only one apology: sorry for the delay.**

**By the way, something has attracted my attention: more than once, I have been contacted by people who offer ideas for these your loyal Chronicles. Although I appreciate your good will and interest, I would love it more if you could only give me the chance to put my ideas together on my own. Have this gorgeous, amazing plotline bursting out of your fingers? Go! Write your own story! Yes you can! I don't mean to be rude, but I think this has to be clear for everyone: I won't take any ideas or contributions unless I asked for them, ok? I love you, guys, but let's give each other some space.**

**That said…**

**Long live Nymphadora Tonks!**

**Long live Remus Lupin!**

**Long live Bellatrix Black!**

**Long live Lord Voldemort!**

**Long live Severus Snape!**

**Just A Fragment Of You**

_Edward's POV_

"You."

The voice came from behind. We turned around, trying to hide our surprise at not having been able to notice the arrival. It was to be expected, though. They were _everywhere_ in this place. But another detail that also seemed strange to us was that Felix didn't seem in the least pleased to see us. Of course, we knew he didn't like our family, but given that they had schemed and plotted even the smallest detail, had even kidnapped half of our family to get them there, well, we thought there would be at least a spark of victory in his eyes. Instead, we met disdain and, why, disappointment.

"Not very happy to see us, are you, Felix?" asked Alice. He didn't answer, but I soon had to laugh quietly.

"Rosalie escaped," I said to my sister.

"_What?_" she exclaimed.

"It seems she fooled them into believing she'd hunt humans and in a second she was gone."

Alice bit her lip, but still failed to hide a smile. Felix shot us a fiery look before guiding them us the castle.

As we walked around the halls and corridors a strange sense of comfort washed over me, and, for what I sensed in Alice's thoughts, over her, too. Maybe it had to do with the fact that our fate seemed so set and unchanging that we had fallen into a state of pleasant resignation. When we drew closer to the Main Hall and could hear the voices falling into silence the sensation increased. We felt no fear to face the Volturi and didn't worry about how we would be treated. At least now we knew why they were upset and we were prepared. Our arrival would be bittersweet since they'd just lost Rosalie. I could picture her now, safely in Emmett's arms. Leave it to Rose to have it all her way. The worry, the confusion, it was all gone but one thing: the yearning to see our children and send them safely home.

We entered the Hall, where the Trio waited expectantly. Aro was the first to greet us.

"Alice, Edward," he said. "Welcome."

He approached us with a smile on his lips. Victory, pleasure, satisfaction, all pooling inside his mind. He took Alice by the chin and kissed her softly on the mouth. She didn't move, but her fists were clenched. I had to fight the urge to growl. I had promised Jasper I would look after her. Some brother I was.

"How wonderful to have you both here with us," he said, still smiling.

"Where are our children?" asked Alice immediately.

"I just could not wait to see you here! Please make yourselves at home."

"Where are our children?" she repeated. Her voice was calm, but the quiet fury it exuded made Renata move closer to Aro.

"Oh, yes that. Your children are a bit nostalgic, obviously, but other than that they are in perfect health and adapting themselves quite well to these surroundings. I dare confess, they could soon blend in completely. And it would be such a joy to have young light in the castle-"

He was interrupted by a low hiss that came from Alice's lips. He looked at her, amused by her anger.

"Chelsea dearest," he said, still looking at us and still smiling, "would you please bring our little guests?"

Chelsea disappeared into a corridor. A few minutes later she came back with a toddler in each arm. It was them, Kristen and Leo, perfectly safe and healthy. I thought my heart would melt at the sight. Our children were already taking their first steps, so they actually fought their way out of Chelsea's arms and ran to ours. Feeling them again, their little arms around our necks… Alice was screaming inside her head, hugging Leo so tightly it seemed they would become one. For me, it was pure bliss to feel Kristen's soft brown hair under my fingers. They were safe, unharmed, healthy and just as beautiful as possible. We held their small, warm bodies as tightly as we could, trying to make them feel at least a thousandth of the love we felt for them

Aro waited patiently while we had our moment with the kids, then addressed us again.

"I suppose you would like to spend some time with your children."

Alice and I looked at each other with wordless understanding. "Actually, Aro," I said, "we would really appreciate it if Kristen and Leo were sent back home as soon as possible."

"Oh, but why? I thought you preferred to keep them here, with you. Don't you want a little piece of the mates you said goodbye to?"

Alice's thoughts and mine were flooded with the same words. _Of course we do, of course we do, of course we do! But we're not stupid. The most important ones are the babies._ We knew they couldn't stay there a second longer. As much as it broke our hearts to part with them, it was the best choice.

"We believe it's better for them if they go home. They're very close to their brother and sister, and still very young. The familiar surroundings will be best for them."

"If that is your wish. Chelsea, dearest, please make sure the children are taken home as soon as possible."

"Yes, Master."

We kissed Kristen and Leo goodbye, showering them with kisses and sweet words.

"My love, be safe."

"Take care, darling. Tell everyone we said hi."

"We'll be with you as soon as possible."

"I love you."

"I love you."

When I gave Kristen back to Chelsea, I felt my heart shattering. When she disappeared taking our children away and I realized I had no idea when I'd see her again I wanted to cry in desperation. I sensed Alice was in just the same situation, but we didn't dare look at each other. An image passed through her mind to mine: a hug. She imagined herself hugging me. To correspond her I tried to suppose I decided to hug her back. From the corner of my eye I saw her eyes unfocusing as she got the vision. She smiled almost imperceptibly. _Thanks, Edward_, she thought lovingly. The whole exchange took less than fifteen seconds.

"Everything solved," then, said Aro calmly and almost gleefully. "Now there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy your time here. We will let you know as soon as your children are back home, and of course you can call the rest of your family whenever you want. You are not prisoners here, you are guests of honor, and you will have all the privileges and amenities you could require. Please don't hesitate to ask for anything you want or need. Your hunting preferences will be respected, too. You will grow to see the pleasures of this life."

No one else in the room was moving or making a sound except for Aro himself, who paced slowly and gracefully as he spoke. Alice was holding my hand, trying to block the visions that had begun to chase her.

"And Esme? Where is she? What's happened to her?" she asked, controlling her anxiety.

"Oh, don't you worry, dear Alice, I assure you your… mother is perfectly well, and so is her baby. I'd like to think you do want to be with her." He smiled maliciously. Neither Alice nor I did anything, or said anything. Chelsea led us through another corridor to an area we had never seen before. It seemed to be a hallway with rooms, guest rooms or something. She stopped before a door and opened it.

"Your kids were here. See how they were provided with everything."

The room was a beautiful nursery that smelled of all-things-new. Exquisitely decorated, with fine furniture and a seemingly endless assortment of toys. The place was actually better, more luxurious than the rooms the children had back home. _We totally need to copy this when we're back with them_, Alice thought. It surprised me how sure she was of our return. Not that I wasn't hopeful, but she seemed sure, even though I hadn't once caught an optimistic vision inside her mind since we'd arrived here. Well, bless her and her positivity.

After that we were finally taken to the room where Esme was. Chelsea knocked softly and then opened the door to a beautifully furnished room, a room that had undoubtedly the magical touch of Esme.

"Your… mother will be glad to see you. Take your time." With that, Chelsea left.

"Oh, God," said Esme as she saw us. We ran to her arms and she hugged us tenderly. "No, no, no, it wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I didn't want to see you end up here, not you."

"It was the only way, mom. Anyway, it's better, because we can look after you, keep you both safe. How is it?"

"Fine," she answered as she laid a hand on her stomach. It had grown in the two or three days since we'd last seen her; the development of the baby seemed to be faster than average. "Healthy. The change of atmosphere doesn't seem to have affected it."

"How are they treating you?"

"Oh, well, about that I can't complain. I could even say I'm overprotected. They care too much about this baby to take any risks."

We sat on the floor and talked. Being again under Esme's loving, caring aura felt wonderful. It was as if we'd been little lost lambs, finally finding their shepherd. What a wonderful mother Esme was.

"And Rosalie escaped?" asked Alice.

"Yes! It was great, how she fooled everyone and ran away. She just called me; said she arrived home safely. Asked me to tell Edward, 'who's the big one now, huh?' "

"She is, she is," I said, shaking my head. We looked at each other and suddenly we all exploded with laughter. Rosalie was a work of art.

We stayed with Esme for hours, pampering her, joking and chatting. She promised she'd call home to let them know that we were safe -both Alice and I too sad to hear the voices of our family- and that Kristen and Leo were finally on their way.

Our time with the Volturi had officially begun.

_Alice's POV_

We were given time to 'make ourselves at home': see our rooms, catch up with Esme, and hunt. When we said we'd go outside to find the local fauna, they laughed but didn't stop us. We knew that part of the guard followed us everywhere, and they knew that we knew, but in an unspoken agreement we decided it was better for everyone if we pretended to be free.

A couple of days went by and then the inescapable, the one thing I had always been sure of, happened. Aro summoned me to his private rooms.

"Welcome, Alice," he said when he saw me at the door. "Please, do come in."

It was a big, luxurious room, properly furnished as a human room would be. There it was, big and prominent and rich-looking: the bed, with its golden bedspread and red silk sheets. I tried to look at it only with my peripheral vision, knowing only too well that I wouldn't leave the room before spending quite some time in it. _Breathe, Alice. What's the point of being difficult?_

"You wanted to see me."

"Oh yes. Come on, make yourself comfortable." He gestured at a chair. I sat down and looked at him. After a few seconds of awkward silence he spoke again. "Let me tell you that it makes me really glad to have you here, my dear."

"Good. That makes one of us."

"Alice, I beg you, don't be like that. I want this to be an easy experience for you, for us. Let's try to make it work, ok?"

I shrugged. "Whatever."

More minutes of awkward, loud silence, until I decided to ask the one thing that made me curious.

"Aro, what do you want me to be to you?"

"What do you mean?" he turned around to look at me, his face sincerely blank.

"Well, what do you expect of me?" I stood up and walked towards him. "You don't love me, Aro, we both know that. There's something you need from me, but I can't quite figure it out. Do you want me to become your lover? Your, I don't know, pet? Something along the lines of Jane and Alec? What exactly do you need from me? What do you want me to be?"

He sighed. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea." He examined me. "No, I'm afraid I can't talk of love. Sorry. I like you, though. You have all the qualities I look for in people: intelligence, beauty, and talent, and huge amounts of all of them. My pet? Yes, maybe I wouldn't use that word, but essentially yes. My lover? Absolutely. You know quite well how much I desire you. Something like my jewel twins, too, but I think you'll be my special piece, since I have all these new, different feelings for you that I'd never had before."

"So you want me to stay here and be kind of your multi-task mate?"

He laughed. "Yes, you could say I do."

"What about Jasper? About my children?"

Pause. "Oh, that… I have never said you have to leave your children. I gave you the chance to keep your son here with you. You are free to visit them whenever you want, as long as you return to my side."

"And my husband?"

"That… well, there's still time. We'll see."

Pause.

"You know why I called you," he said finally. His tone was almost apologetic.

"Yes."

"This wasn't how I'd imagined it," he continued, still the apology in his voice, "but having you finally here, in my home, so close and without anyone to stop it… I can't, Alice, I just can't. The temptation is too, too big."

He didn't say anything else and I couldn't think of any proper words to answer.

"Come here," he motioned. "Come closer."

I took a tentative step toward him and he took another. He motioned for me to move again until I was standing an inch from him. Then he raised a hand and touched my hair. Lower, my face. Lower, the shoulders. Lower, he caressed my chest. His touch was soft, gentle, careful. Even though the electricity of his desire and eagerness filled the entire room it seemed as if he didn't want to hurt me. Finally, when he reached my waist, he stopped and held me with both hands, firmly and confidently.

And then he leaned forward and kissed me. It had been years since he had brushed his lips against my neck, that time when we'd come here and I was pregnant with Leo, and it had been the ghost of a kiss. A barely-there touch, nothing compared to the full caress he gave me now. His hands were still on my waist, securing me against him while he kissed me. I was paralyzed, mostly out of confusion: what on earth was I supposed to do? Fight? Maybe if I resisted he'd let me go, but I was prisoner in the castle and this seemed inescapable. Sooner or later, he'd get me, and I preferred to satisfy his curiosity once and for all instead of having to escape and run and hide for who knows how long. OK, now, if I was going to oblige, did that mean I had to respond to his movements? I couldn't bring myself to do it, and I had no idea as to what he expected from me. He didn't seem to be upset that I hadn't moved since he had started… I decided to just be there and let him do whatever he wanted.

He undressed me slowly, as if we had all the time in the world. We probably did. His hands were firm as they caressed me, fearless and confident now, but still cautious. I appreciated that, it made me feel that my own sensations were actually important to him. We fell onto the bed and I was once again paralyzed. I wanted to do the right thing, but what was actually the right thing to do? Bah. Meanwhile, he wasn't as lost as I was. The fact that he knew perfectly well what he was doing was obvious: he was strong, and every single movement proved his experience. To my surprise, I caught myself just in time before a sigh of pleasure escaped my lips.

My breath was getting more and more difficult to control. It horrified me to realize that I was starting to enjoy the act, but that was becoming impossible to ignore. His sixth sense as to what he did was eerie; he knew exactly what to do and where and how to do it. I bit my lip to repress the urgency to moan, and then it hit. Of course. Now I remembered he could hear my every thought and I realized that he was using that talent to see in my memories and in the dark corners of my mind what I liked. It pleased me that I still had the self control to be terribly embarrassed about that fact. Once aware of that, it was a bit easier to concentrate and not let myself get carried away by a man who was not my husband and who kept me as his prisoner.

He took his time to satisfy his desire. He was very quiet, always with that air of respect and something that very much resembled devotion hanging over us. I had managed to control my physical reactions and all in all I was glad at how smoothly the whole procedure had passed. Not a trace of violence, fear, or pain, and in a very strange way, I was happy because he had finally had his wish fulfilled.

Later that day, I sat by a window that overlooked the enormous gardens and thought about what had happened between Aro and I. He had… what exactly had he done to me? I didn't have a name for it. We hadn't made love, but he certainly hadn't raped me, either. It had been a shared moment, but what exactly we had shared I had no idea:

Once it was over, he had touched my cheek.

"Thanks," he said quietly. "I know this was difficult for you. If it helps, let me tell you that you just made me the happiest man on Earth."

He got up and was dressed before I realized. Then he grabbed something from a chair and handed it to me. It was a robe, soft, heavy red velvet. I put it on and got off the bed.

"You look beautiful," he said. "You'll wear that one until you feel ready to wear the black one."

My stomach jumped. The black robe, the one undeniable sign of your belonging there.

He stood next to me and put his arms delicately around my waist. "It's going to sound quite vulgar, and I apologize, but… you were great. Thank you." He half-smiled and kissed me on the forehead.

In sum, the whole episode was bittersweet, something I couldn't quite come to terms with. i realized I had unconsciously been stroking the scar on my neck, the scar Jasper had given me when he'd changed me. Jasper. Oh, my Jasper. Jasper would obviously never know anything about this; God knew what he could do in one of his jealousy outbursts. I wanted to think I was the victim in all this, but I couldn't find a point of support for that. I felt just as responsible, and perhaps even guilty, for what had happened between Aro and me. I would even have preferred him to be violent and aggressive, so at least I could think I had been forced, have that consolation, and, should Jasper ever find out, have that excuse. But he had been so delicate, so careful, so… tender, that he had left me disarmed.

It was all very complicated… Let's see… Ok, so if I was given the choice I would prefer not to do it again; that was a good sign, or so I thought. Half the time, mostly during the bits that I could say I… liked (?), I had my eyes closed and I imagined Jasper. That was good, too. That was… oh God, what was it? I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed in desperation.

I heard footsteps coming closer. Edward's. I considered trying to hide my thoughts, but in the end decided it was too late for that. When I turned around and saw his face, I knew I was right. And after all, Edward was all I had now. I wasn't able to tell Esme about this, though she would of course notice, I just didn't have the heart. I needed someone I could trust, someone who could comfort me and ease the guilt. Edward was just the person. As he approached, I held out my hand. He took it and kissed it, then kissed my hair and put an arm around my shoulders.

"Bet that was difficult," he said. He sounded sympathetic.

_Yeah, _I thought, suddenly too tired to actually speak. After a moment I continued. _I don't know how to feel._

"I know, sweetheart. You must be tangled up in yourself, poor thing." He hugged me. "Do you think he'll call you again?"

_Probably. Not very soon, I think. He… well, he looked done for a while._

"Well, little sister, you are quite a handful," he said playfully.

I punched his arm.

"Ouch! Not my fault that your husband thinks so loudly."

I punched him again. _Hey, don't be obscene! _But he had made me smile, and I could tell that that had been his goal. He was a treasure of a brother.

_I would appreciate your discretion__, though, _I thought, serious again. Edward nodded and smiled, patting my shoulder. I saw he was deciding to tell me something, and just a second later I got the vision. _Of course, pretty one. You can count on me._ He hugged me.

Now that I was in a better mood, we went for a walk around the gardens. Wow, they were gorgeous. I made a mental note to ask who was in charge of the orchids –never in my life had I seen prettier flowers. Walking and chatting with Edward made me relax and clear my mind. Whatever had happened, it was over. Period. Turn the page and hope for the best. After the gardens we went to spend some time with Esme and then I returned to my room.

I heard the door long before it opened. I heard his voice long before he spoke.

"Alice…"

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	58. Twice the pain

**Twice the pain**

"Alice."

I turned around. He stood there, looking strangely human. I soon realized why: for the first time he didn't have his cloak on. He wore simple, normal clothes underneath, black pants and black shirt. Combined with his hair, that was also dark, his skin gave the sensation of glowing from the inside out; his eyes were the only touch of color in the whole image, and they were surprisingly comforting, as they balanced his appearance.

"You look very pretty today," he noted.

"Oh. Thanks."

He was back so soon? I hadn't expected it. I mean, yes, I trusted my own beauty, but I didn't imagine he'd be the type to-

"I came to see you because I'd like us to talk." Surprise must have been clear on my face, because he chuckled before continuing. "Yes, Alice, just _talk_. Like friends. You tell me about your life, I tell you about mine. Nothing more."

He offered me his arm and took me out of the castle, to the gardens that were becoming my usual surroundings. We sat on a cute little bench and began to talk. It was one of the most interesting, enriching conversations ever. We didn't actually go into each other's lives, but discussed our tastes: arts, beliefs, philosophies, what we liked and hated, from the simplest to the most complex issues. Sometimes we agreed and sometimes not, but I definitely learned a lot in that talk we had. Eventually, we went into deeper and deeper topics, until we moved on to my presence there.

"I wondered how you would look like here, in these gardens. You harmonize so beautifully, it's like they were designed around you." The content of the words was sweet, but it was the matter-of-fact tone in which he said them what I felt the most. I knew from my experience with Jasper that men used that tone when what they said was really special to them. It was strange for me to see that he actually did like me. That gave me the courage to ask a question that had been almost on my lips ever since I had arrived.

"Why are you doing this to us?"

"What do you mean?"

"To me, to my family. You know I'm suffering here. You know I long for my children and my home. You know the only man whose touch I long for is Jasper, my husband. You say you like me, and I know you're sincere, then why do you hurt me like this?"

Aro sighed. "Because I'm too selfish. I like you, I want you, I desire you, and if I have the chance to get you, then I will. If I have to step on others to have you with me, then so be it. I have gotten everything I have ever wanted; no matter what happened, it all was mine in the end. What you see here, what I have built over the millennia, it has cost me and it has cost others, but it's mine and I won't let it go. I have what I want."

"And what about what I want?"

"I'm hoping you will one day grow to want all this."

"But-"

"Hush, my darling. Everything will be fine, you'll see. And if it's the children you miss…"

He looked at me with the suggestion clear in his eyes. I had to look down, hoping horror and fear wouldn't filtrate through my skin. Having children with _him_? Carrying in my womb the baby of someone who wasn't my Jasper? That was out of the question. But, would I have a say about it should Aro decide he wanted kids with me? Grr, and I'd just decided that maybe my time here wouldn't be so bad. I had hoped I would have a chance to escape with Edward and Esme, or convince Aro to set us free, but now it seemed harder than ever, if not impossible.

"There's no rush," he said, guessing me again. "You have no idea how long I've waited for someone like you. I can wait a little more."

"And what about Edward, what about Esme? You're holding them captives, too."

"That, my love, is none of your business. They are here for different reasons, and I have other plans for them. They don't concern you, so don't give them a thought. Now, come over here. Let me kiss you."

He kissed me long and softly, then said he'd give me some space and left. I resisted the temptation of calling Jasper or looking into his future; I knew I wasn't ready for that yet. In fact, I was trying to block any type of vision I could get, knowing that whatever I saw, I would be unable to do anything, and the sensation of impotence was unbearable.

Unfortunately, that left room in my head to wonder: he said he could wait, and I knew he would try his hardest not to force me into anything. The question here was, how long was too long? When would this bubble of pseudo-harmony finally burst, letting me fall once and for all into the real nightmare?

The rest of the day went by without any other major incidents. At nightfall, though, we were called to the Hall. Edward and I were worried about what the reason could be, until Esme explained.

"It's not serious, we do it every night. Aro wants to see how my baby is growing." She looked tired and sad despite the smile on her face. Edward put an arm around her shoulders and we arrived together.

"Oh, there you are," said Caius. "Let's get this over with."

For the most part, the guard looked bored and completely uninterested. They had seen this show before, and their curiosity had died. The only ones that showed any kind of enthusiasm were Aro, Alec, Renata, and, surprisingly, Jane.

"Here," said Aro warmly. "Let's see how the little angel is going."

Esme sat on a chair, still with that tired expression and –only Edward and I detected it- also wariness. Then Renata approached her, every movement confident and serene. She placed her hands on Esme's belly and began feeling around. This surprised me; Renata knew about babies and births? Whoa. You never know.

"Renata has some experience as midwife," said Marcus, noticing my reaction, "don't you, dear?"

She smiled and nodded softly. Ah, we were all so different when humans…

We all waited in silence while the examination was performed. Suddenly, Renata's face grew stern as she felt Esme's stomach with more care and attention.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Esme's face became scared, anxious and worried. Edward seemed confused and I moved closer to her.

"Um, I think…"

"What is the matter?" Aro inquired urgently.

"Master, if I'm not mistaken, well, I'm fairly sure… I believe Esme carries two babies. Twins, Master."

We looked at each other, eyes wide with surprise. Who knew vampires could be so fertile? Esme reached out for my hand and Edward's; she looked beyond words. I placed my palm on her skin and in no time there was a soft beating against my fingertips: the baby –one of them- was kicking. I knew and remembered that from my own pregnancy days. The instant I recalled those moments a desperate longing for my babies almost made me crumble. My hand went to Esme's shoulder instead and I looked away, trying to control myself.

We were finally allowed to leave. It was obvious Aro didn't want to let Esme go, but now more than ever he wanted her calm and happy. We went to her room and once there we allowed ourselves to relax. We tried to find an explanation for this, I mean, vampire twins! We gave up in the end, and dedicated ourselves to think about the babies themselves, planning names, guessing if they were boys or girls, etc. We considered calling Carlisle with the news, but Esme decided against it. She couldn't, she said, she had to do it face-to-face. Obviously there was no chance of that now, but she didn't have the heart to deliver such news on the phone. Also, calling home would mean Edward and I would have to talk to Bella and Jasper, and though there wasn't anything in the world that we wanted more than the sound of their voices, we knew we weren't ready yet.

"They must be desperate for news," he said.

"Just as much as we are."

"Still… they haven't called, either."

"I know. They must be feeling the same."

Edward and I had been talking only to each other, and suddenly we realized Esme had gone very still, head down and hands curled quietly and sadly around her stomach. She looked so miserable… We sat beside her again, and tried to get her to tell us what was going on.

"I'm fine," she said. "Don't you worry about me."

"Mom, please."

"You can trust us."

"Ah, you're so sweet, both of you. Well, it's… it's… it's just that I miss him so much! and he was so, so, so happy and excited about our baby. And now that I've found out we're having twins, it should have been such a beautiful moment between us, and he's not here and it all just makes me so sad!"

Finally, she broke down. Her eternal sweetness and quietness melted into the dry crying of our kind. We hugged her while she let all her desperation finally break free. "He should be here with us," she sobbed. "This was supposed to be _our_ moment. We tried so hard, a whole century! A hundred years fighting for this, and we're separated! I can't give birth without him by my side, I just can't. Our children, for God's sake, our very own little babies! He has to be with me, _he has to be with me_! It's not fair." She cried for a long time while Edward and I tried desperately and unsuccessfully to soothe her.

After a while, her cries quieted and she fell into a sort of sleepy state. We let her rest on her bed, hands still on her belly, only murmuring more ineffective words of comfort. Once we made sure she would truly be alright Edward motioned for me to go with him, to his room.

"What on Earth were you thinking about when we were with Esme?" he exclaimed.

I pretended not to understand him, but we both knew I was lying, we both knew that all the time we'd been talking to Esme I'd been trying to think, to form a plan. I had ignored Edward's ardent stares as I gave it shape. It was as hard as it was easy: Esme and Carlisle were my parents, and I wouldn't rest until they were together to meet their children. I knew I could do it. I had to be able to do it. If selling my soul was what it took, it didn't matter. I was ready.

Let hell break loose.

**Oh, so you're punishing me by not reviewing, huh? That is mean. People, you're hurting a Slytherin's feelings, and a Slytherin never forgets. Oh well. I hope to see more enthusiasm for this new chapter!**

**XOXO**


	59. Highway To Hell

**Highway to Hell**

After that came a very difficult week. I ignored Edward's attempts to talk to me and dissuade me as my plan took shape. I knew it would hurt and it would be extremely harsh, emotionally speaking, but it seemed to be the only way. I trusted I could soon come up with something new to free myself. I had to.

I was still debating whether to phone home or not. I missed my family: Jasper, my babies, everyone, but the moment I heard his voice I knew my will would crumble and my selfish side would overpower everything else. I didn't want to admit how desperately I wished that would happen, how I wanted to allow myself to be carried by my own feelings and wishes, but I did. I craved my family, every day I spent without my children was torture, my body ached with an unsuspected desire for Jasper's touch. It was, in a word, painful.

The only way to distract myself was this new horrible project of mine, but it was proving terribly frustrating to plan everything. One of the issues that complicated things even more was my self-induced blindness. The problem was that my mind had been trying to send me flashes about Jasper and the children, and in an attempt to escape any painful visions I had been blocked my talent. I now regretted this decision since I was unable to get a clear view of what Aro's reaction could be. I vowed to myself I would make the effort to mature from now on.

It took me a while to truly decide, but I did. With a final deep breath for courage I went downstairs, to Aro's private study, and knocked.

"Come in, Alice."

I put on my best smile as I greeted him. "Good morning, Aro."

"Hello, dear. You look quite happy."

"It's a nice day."

"It is, indeed. What brings you here, my darling? Surely you haven't come to discuss the weather?"

I laughed. "No, Aro, of course not. I have come to offer you something?"

He looked up and watched me curiously, tilting his head to one side. "Offer? You want to offer me something? And what could that possibly be?"

"A deal."

"Really?" he stood up and walked towards me. His voice had turned suggestively soft. "And is there anything I will win by agreeing?"

"You know there is. Otherwise I wouldn't be here." My voice now matched his.

"Oh, sweetheart, I know your type. Vampire or human, but you are a woman. You never give anything without getting more in exchange." He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand and then his fingers took me gently by the chin. "What do you want, kitten?"

"Let's make peace."

"Peace, you say? If it's with you, I would rather make something else."

I giggled. "That, too, if you want."

He eyed me as if meeting me for the first time. His hands slipped softly until they rested on my waist. "Well, well, well, haven't you changed." He held me tighter. "I like it."

His reaction gave me confidence –he was falling. My plan was, after all, working. I congratulated myself before continuing.

"Only…"

"What?"

"No, nothing."

"Tell me."

"Well… I was thinking… if you and I … you know… then we don't need…" I played quietly with his hair as I said this; it was the big moment, my most delicate objective.

"What?"

"Esme."

"What do you mean? What does she have to do with this?"

"Well, I can give you anything you need. I _want _to. And then… you could let her go," I cooed. "You don't need her. You have me. Anything you can find in her you can find in me, too. That and more."

"More?" he cooed back, pulling me closer. "Like what?"

"Anything. If it's vampire babies you want, then…"

"Alice," he sighed into my hair. He stroked it carefully, then traced the line of my jaw. "This is fascinating." His lips were pressed against my hair and forehead. "You are fascinating." He went lower and he kissed my neck. "And what" kiss "exactly" kiss "makes you" kiss "think" kiss "that you're going to manipulate me so easily?"

He pushed me slightly away so he could look at me. I tried to hide my surprise and fear at being discovered, but it was useless: his eyes turned dark. In less than a second he pushed me so hard I fell to the floor. I gasped, seeing for the first time his violent side. He came closer and closer until he knelt and hovered over me.

"Do not play with me, sweetheart," he hissed, his lips an inch from mine. "Have you forgotten that I can see your very soul with one touch? And you know I have touched you enough to reach every single dark corner in here," he placed a hand over my heart. "I know what you're playing at, my love, and let me warn you from now; the fact that you drive me crazy doesn't mean you can control me. Do not ever forget that it's me who is in charge here." He kissed me. "Now go. Go away and don't ever let me catch you doing these things again."

I left, feeling more humiliated and ashamed than I thought I could feel. I hadn't realized I was so obvious about what I truly wanted, but now that I really thought about it, well, wasn't it evident? I felt so stupid now, so embarrassed. As I went upstairs to my room I looked around, trying to see if anyone had witnessed this terrible thing. Luckily, no one had. I locked myself in my room, since apparently Edward and Esme had gone hunting. I sat on the bed and let myself be miserable for a while. I looked at my bag, resting peacefully on the night table. My cell phone was there, and with it the possibility of calling Jasper, hearing his voice, feeling his magic. I decided I couldn't stand one more second without knowing about him, and I was just reaching for the bag when the door burst open.

I hadn't even heard Aro coming, so quick his arrival had been. He walked toward me without hesitation. His eyes were fierce, burning, and I felt a wave of hot fear wash over me.

"Aro, what-"

But he was already there, and he kissed me violently, grabbing my head with both hands. He looked angrier than I'd ever seen him. He pushed me onto the bed as he spat his furious words.

"Damn you," he growled as he positioned himself on top of me. "I know what you're playing at, Alice, and I'm letting you do it. Each time you have more and more power over me, and I allow it. Alright. Esme will be sent home. Today. But you… you aren't going anywhere, ever. And don't even think about talking to him again." He pushed my arms over my head and with his lips at my ear he said slowly and quietly "You know what you're doing to me. You're deliberately bewitching me and I'm obsessed enough with you that I'm going to let you manipulate me, but it will cost you as much as it will cost me. There's no going back for neither of us."

And just as he had arrived he left, slamming the door and disappearing before I even knew what had happened.

_Jane's POV_

I heard them from the corridor. In his anger Aro had left the door ajar and I could hear him shouting at her. But at the same time I could hear the tone of desperation and hopelessness he so rarely used. Every single sound from him felt like a small wave of pain to me, like a string tied to my heart , and with each beat it bled.

When he left I tried to approach Alice. She looked confused, unable to explain Aro's violent outburst. She actually ignored me, perhaps she didn't even notice I was there, so deep was her concentration and her need to understand. Suddenly, she got up and left, too, just as mysteriously as our Master had. I stayed there, in her room, four I couldn't think of any other place. At least here I would be left alone. I sat on a chair, facing the window, and watched as Alice's tiny figure reappeared in the gardens. Then I began thinking about how foolish, how stupid and silly they both were. Aro himself had told me that she had tried to trick him; he's said he wouldn't give in yet there he was, admitting to her that she had him in her hands.

And the same with her: when she had first arrived she had been fierce, daring us to break her strength of steel and her determination to remain loyal to her clan. Still, she had started to oblige, she would accept whatever his terms were trapped as she was by that ruthless sense of family she had. They were slaves of each other, and neither knew what to do. They were blind, deaf, and apparently willing to admit defeat and be as weak as possible to keep each other happy. What a pair.

After considering all this I got on my feet and paced around the room, trying to digest the ideas. Something quickly caught my eye: one of Alice's handbags. Small and elegant, a designer's bag; it was open, as if she had been in the middle of looking for something there when Aro had arrived. The temptation was too big: A little look at the privacy of the woman who was driving my Master mad, a taste of her secrets. I took the bag and opened it. It was pretty interesting: keys, sunglasses, gloves, a diadem, a wallet with a picture of her with Jasper and their children… though I supposed this was what any woman's bag would have, it seemed fascinating to me, given that I had never had one myself.

Then I noticed something else: her phone. A sophisticated piece, one that could do everything but keep the conversation for you. I almost put it back and left everything as it was, when a master idea came to my mind. Actually, it was something that had been going around in my head for a couple of days, but was only now triggered. The little idea unfolded itself into a full plan that took shape immediately. It was brilliant. Very dangerous, though; anyone else would risk his life by following it and even I, who had gotten away with quite a few atrocities, was a little scared. But I decided I would rather take my chances instead of continuing this lifestyle that would quickly go from sad to torturing if I didn't act quickly.

I opened the phone and with a few clicks I found the number I wanted. After memorizing it I left and went to my own rooms, which, like my brother's and my Masters', had soundproof walls, and dialed from the until then decorative phone I had.

_Jasper's POV_

"Hello?"

"Jasper?"

"Umm… yes." The voice was feminine, but strange, too soft, young and at the same time serene and elegant; a voice I didn't think I had heard before. "Who is it?"

"Jane."

"Oh." Of course, how could I have not recognized her? The little demon. It's just that I had never heard her on the phone before. Somehow, using a phone seemed almost like an offense to her, and I wondered how she felt, using a mundane object no one could have ever pictured her with. "How can I help you, Jane?" _How can I help you, Jane?_ as in, _Where the hell is my wife? How is she? I want her back! You monster!_

"I want to… I called you because… I…"she sighed. "I want to offer you something."

"What do you have that could interest me, Jane?"

"Now, Jasper, don't be rude. This is good for you."

"What is it?" I repeated, getting more and more impatient.

"Your girl."

That struck me. For a few seconds I couldn't speak.

"What do you mean by that? What about Alice?"

"You want her back. I can give her to you. Easily. Soon."

"What are you trying to say with this, Jane?"

"I don't want to say anything I haven't already said. Don't go looking for undemessages. You want her, yes or no?"

"You know the answer to that."

"Of course."

"Can you really do this, Jane, or is it a new type of your sadistic games?"

Her answer came immediately, and she sounded unnerved by my words. "Oh, she's just done one big stupid thing, but I can get her out of it. So, Jasper, are you interested? Working with me?"

"Wait… what are _you_ winning with this?"

"That is none of your business. Mind your own stuff. You want your wife, say yes right now and I will help you. But my reasons and gains are only mine. Understood?"

"Yes." I sighed. The little witch. "Alright, Jane, I'm with you. You know your offer is too damn good to turn down."

I could see her smile as she answered. "Perfect. Now, listen to me very carefully. You will need to tell your leader and get perfectly organized. There's no room for mistakes, our lives depend on doing this right. We will start with…"


	60. Otherside

**Otherside**

_Aro's POV_

"It's done. She's leaving in an hour. She'll be in her room for a while, in case you want to say goodbye."

"Thanks."

Alice's voice was tiny and soft as she thanked me. She was facing the wall, her back to me. She couldn't deny I had given her the best rooms: her window overlooked the entirety of Volterra: its little streets, the Piazzas, the churches… she could see everything of her new home. She hadn't turn around to speak; the word was almost inaudible, even for my ears. I walked towards her and she still didn't move. When I put my arms around her waist, though, she let her head fall, ever so slightly.

I pulled her closer to me. Her aroma was sweet and fresh, she smelled of a spring flower. Tentatively, I moved all her hair to one side and pressed my lips to the side of her neck that had been left exposed. I had to fight hard against the wave of desire: her skin was so soft and so pretty, and I already knew what I would find underneath that green blouse and it was all too tempting. The urgency was painful. Yet, I sensed it wasn't the right time and I found control. I contented myself with her hair instead, aspiring its fragrance and seeing the sunbeams glittering softly over it.

What exactly did I feel for her? That was a question I'd had in my mind ever since the first time I'd laid eyes on her, a question that was now more than ever picking and pulling at my head. Desire, of course, an unspeakable amount of desire that had surprisingly increased after that time when I could finally make her mine. Fascination, too, for she was quite small in size and yet big in spirit: strong, firm, powerful. She had her husband wrapped around her finger, and now, it seemed, she had me. Attraction and affection because she was smart, well-educated in all the branches of knowledge; her conversation was pleasant and her manners flawless. But the question she had once asked me returned: did I love her? Needed her, yes; liked her, yes; desired her, yes; wanted her, yes… but what about love? Was I falling in love with her? Had I already?

Slowly, carefully, I slid my hands up and down, caressing the sides of her torso –her waist, her ribs. Nothing happened. I did it again and then she held her breath for a second. I continued, rubbing with more strength now. Her body felt toned but soft under my hands, curiously warm; it was addictive. I kept caressing her, and then the unbelievable happened: she let her head fall back, on my chest, and breathed in a way that could only carry pleasure. Enthusiastic by this new response I continued until she arched her back and sighed, lost in her sensations.

"Jazz… oh, Jasper… yes…"

That did it. That killed it. I stopped abruptly. She tensed, aware of her mistake now, and turned around instantly, with fear clear in her golden eyes.

"S-sorry. I-I didn't- I didn't mean…" she mumbled. I didn't need to touch her skin to know that the words had actually slipped, but she wasn't in the slightest sorry about it. Anger pulsed through me faster than venom, and I felt the almost uncontrollable need to hurt her, to make her pay for not wanting me. She was so small, fragile compared to me, and there was nothing that could stop me, was there? She was completely at my mercy, I could do anything I wanted to her and no one would be able to protect her.

But I couldn't harm her, I just couldn't, not even if she deserved it. While I still had some self-control left I sent her to Esme, who was just about to leave. _Let her go, let her go, _I thought to myself. _She didn't mean it, it was an accident._ She left, and when she closed the door I realized how scared I was. Scared of myself, of what I had felt two minutes ago. I could have done something horrible, and that had never been my line before. What was I becoming? What was she turning me into?

_Alice's POV_

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! What the hell had I been thinking? Okay, I had been thinking about Jasper, and of what I felt everytime he… well, I still had been particularly stupid to let it slip. I had seen it in Aro's eyes, he was very angry, furious perhaps, and I even got a tiny flicker of a potential decision that terrified me. I needed to be more careful now. I'd thought I could control him, but this was a side I'd never seen before.

I pondered about this as I went to Esme's room. She was there with Edward, who stood up and hugged me the moment I walked through the door. Of course, he'd been listening to my thoughts, the bastard. I hugged him back. Esme also had her arms open for me, and she held me as tightly as her stomach would allow.

"What did you do, my love?" said Esme in an almost crying voice, and she stroked my hair lovingly. "What did you do, my darling, my girl, what have you sacrificed for me?"

"Don't cry, mom, I don't want you to suffer. Whatever I did, I did it gladly, and I'd do it again a thousand times for you."

"But…"

"No. Please. Esme, you need to be with Carlisle. Moreover, Carlisle needs you to be with him. And what about your babies? You couldn't have them without Carlisle by your side, could you? He doesn't deserve that; it's a moment for both of you. After all this time? After decades and decades of trying, I can't let him miss it. And neither can you, Esme. Go, go, don't worry about me. I'll still have Edward here. Just go."

"Alice, my love, you are so good, so kind," she said. "And you, Edward, my gentleman, my boy." She held our hands. "My children."

"These are more your children than we are," said Edward, laying a hand on Esme's stomach. "They are all that matter. Please, go. They need their father, but their father needs them more. That's all we're asking."

She hugged us and kissed us again, then Alec arrived.

"Esme, Aro has asked me personally to take you home. Don't worry, you'll be safe."

We all kissed one last time and she walked to the door. Felix helped her with her bags and the turned to me.

"Alice, he also said he would like you to, er, meet him in his rooms. The sooner the better."

Esme and Edward avoided meeting my eyes, and even Alec seemed uncomfortable. I walked as quickly as I could, imagining it was Jasper I was about to meet.

The door was open when I arrived. He greeted me calmly, as if I had never made that silly mistake. He handed me a cup of what I immediately recognized as human blood. I drank, for I had no choice. When I had finished, he approached me and held me tightly against him.

"Think of him, if it makes you so happy," he said bitterly. "Think it's him you're with."

And I did, I obeyed him, thinking of my honey-haired prince as I closed my eyes, into the darkness.

_Edward's POV_

I was alone again, my mother gone and my sister was with that bastard. I felt so stupid, so useless! I thought of them, and of my Bella, and my Kristen, all my girls, that I needed to protect and take care of, and they were all suffering without my doing anything to help them. What kind of man was I, that let everything around him shatter?

I heard footsteps outside. Alice's. The door opened and she came in, wearing a dark blue velvet robe. What had happened was obvious. I felt murderous, I felt like killing that unspeakable that had touched her, polluted her so vilely. I kissed her forehead and tried to suppress a growl of fury. She remained quiet and calm, not giving the slightest thought to Aro and their strange, horrible relationship; she only touched my face and patted my shoulder. So she was now comforting me. Some big brother I was.

I sat on the bed. Oh, a bed. What was a bed doing here? We didn't need them, not for sleeping, not for some pseudo human charade. Weird. It was useful right then, though. I pulled Alice with me and we lay there, thinking about how we'd love not to think.

After a while I sighed.

"We need a miracle, little sister, we need a miracle."

"There must be a way, Edward, there has to be. The important now is that Esme is free."

"Yes, but what about us? Bella, Jasper, your children, mine? They need us, too."

Slowly, she nodded. "Our babies, Edward, how are they? Bella and Jasper, and everyone else are taking care of them, but argh! I need them."

"I know," she said, and for the first time her voice resembled a sob. "It's Leo's birthday next month. What am I going to do? What is he going to do? I don't want to miss it, I've never missed anything like that. I have to be home for him."

I suddenly remembered something. "Didn't he say you could come and go?"

She shook her head. "Not anymore. He just told me. 'You have everything you need here. There's no need to think back and look into the past.' I can stand it all, Edward, everything but this. He can't take that away. He'll kill me if he does."

I had never heard her so miserable, ever, and it made my guilt more acute, if possible.

"Sorry," I said.

"For what?"

"For being such a failure of a big brother."

"Edward, how can you say that? You're the best brother any girl would want."

"That's not true. I'm horrible. You should hate me."

"But-"

"Damn it, Alice! Don't you see? I swore to Jasper that I would look after you, and look at this!" I gestured at her body. "I've let him… you… he's humiliated you, he's put his dirty hands on you, and I didn't fight! I wasn't there to stop him from-"

"Shh, Edward, hush. Don't you blame yourself. There was nothing you could do, or I could do. In some way, Aro is right. We mustn't stay stuck in the past, we have to look forward. We won't win anything by trying to think what we could have done differently to prevent ending up trapped here; we have to plan into the future. Find a way out."

Silence fell over us, the same question lingering heavily on our minds: _how?_

_Alice's POV_

All of a sudden, the door opened and, just like that, Jane came in. When she saw us, she arched an eyebrow.

"Come on, Jane," said Edward. "She's my sister."

Jane simply shrugged. "Your business, guys."

"How can we help you, Jane?" I said patiently as I got up.

"You? Ha. It's me who's come to help you. Here," she handed us a cell phone each, "call home."

"We have our own phones, Jane."

"Your lines are intervened. Spied on. Anywhere you call, he can know straight away and listen. You don't want that, do you?"

"And what are we supposed to say?"

"How would I know? It's your family. Now, if you don't want to talk to them…"

"No! Yes, we do. Please."

Edward moved to the window, while I curled myself in a ball between the bed and the night table. I needed safety, I needed something surrounding me as I did this. Jane didn't move. I dialed the number and didn't have to wait to hear the voice.

"Yes?"

A lump formed in my throat, thick and painful. "Jasper?" I managed to say through it.

"Alice?" his voice was alert, and I heard things moving, as if he'd jumped at the sound of his name.

"Jasper." I sighed-cried.

"Alice!" he exclaimed. More noise, voices, Edward was talking to his Bella and home was upside down.

"Jasper, my love."

"Alice, darling, how- how are you, what- why hadn't you called?" he sounded almost angry now.

"I couldn't… I just couldn't… and now Jane has told me that the lines were intervened. She gave us these phones."

"Jane," he said. He didn't sound as surprised as I thought, as I was. "She's there with you?"

"Yes."

"What else has she told you?"

"Nothing. Jasper, what's going on? What do you know?"

"We'll get to that, sweetheart, don't worry. Now tell me, how are you? How are they treating you?"

"I'm fine. They're all very pleasant. They wouldn't mistreat us. And my babies? How are they?"

I heard a faint smile appear on Jasper's lips. "Perfect. Healthy and beautiful as always. They miss you, though. They ask a lot about you. Mostly Hershey, Leo understands where you are. But they're fine. The pack has been really helpful, you know?"

"Really?"

"Absolutely. They're very nice, supportive. The kids love them, they play together and have fun and it keeps their minds relaxed. All in all very good company."

"Tell our children that I miss them, too, and I love them."

"Why don't you tell them yourself? Talk to them? They're here."

"Um… actually… Jazz, I don't know if I can… it… hurts, you know?"

He sighed. "Yes. I can imagine. Don't worry, my love, it's okay."

"Oh," I said, suddenly remembering, "tell Carlisle Esme is going home. She just left; she should be there soon."

"Is she really?" muffled voices, I guessed he was passing on the message. "They let her go? But how? It was her they wanted the most, how could they have- wait. What is going on, Alice? What aren't you telling me?"

I hated how clever he was. "Nothing, love, nothing. I don't know what happened there."

"Yes you do."

"No."

"Okay… I'll find out anyway. And what about Aro? How is he treating you?"

"He- he's been kind to me."

"He hasn't touched you, has he?"

My fists turned into balls. "No. He hasn't."

Lying so deliberately to him, it just killed me. It was so horrible, and to make it worse Aro had just… touched me, and it seemed Jasper would see me through the phone and know that I was lying to him.

"Good. Because if he does, if he even _thinks_ of laying a hand on you, then I will personally kill him, Alice, I swear I will."

"Shh, shh, hush Jasper, hush, my love. That won't be necessary, you'll see. I'm safe, I'm fine."

There was a pause. I could tell he was considering whether to tell me this or not.

"Alice," he finally started cautiously. "We're starting a plan. To get you both out of there."

"What? Jasper, but," I looked at Jane –there was no way she wouldn't hear. "What do you mean? How?" I dropped my voice, though I knew it was useless. "Honey, we'll talk about that later."

"Don't worry, Alice. Jane knows."

"What? _She does?_" I didn't control my voice anymore; Jane turned to me and sighed exasperatedly. My eyes met Edward's, and by the looks of it he was discussing the very same subject with Bella.

"Actually, love, it's Jane who suggested the whole thing. Don't ask. No one understands, no one at all. But she says we have to come up with something, and once we have she'll clear the way for us."

Edward's voice interrupted us. "You have something up your sleeve, Jane. What is it?"

"Mind your own business, will you?"

Jasper laughed. "Nice as always, Jane. I swear I don't get it. But she called me, and offered her help."

"Wow. Thanks Jane," I said, turning to her, and then went back to my Jasper. "And have you thought of something?"

"Kind of, but now that Esme is coming back –yes, Carlisle, for the umpteenth time, that's what Alice says- we'll have to re scheme. It's shaping up quite nicely, and it could totally work as soon as Carlisle decides to give me the permission to murder a certain someone."

"Jasper, be careful, my love."

He sighed. "Yes. I guess I will." A few seconds of silence, movement in the distance, as if he was changing location. A door closed and then he spoke again. "Alice, I miss you so much."

His voice caught me off guard. It was the voice of a little lost boy, scared, defenseless, not the deep, raspy voice I was used to. This tone was so soft, so brutally sweet, that I had to breathe quite a few times before answering, in fear of breaking down completely.

"So do I, Jasper. Every single second. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes. I do." A pause. "I need you."

His voice sounded so broken, it destroyed me. "Jasper, my love, let's be strong, ok? It won't last much longer" -_I can't stand it anymore, it's becoming hell without you and our children- _"now that we can make a plan with actual chances of succeeding. There's only Edward and me left here, it used to be half the family, remember? We have to work together, we will, and you'll see how soon we'll be back together, looking back on this like a bad dream."

"It better be like that, Alice. It better be."

"Ok, enough," Jane's sharp voice interrupted our suffering. She held out her hand and we had to murmur a quick goodbye, more promises of love and of better times. Edward and I handed the cell phones back to Jane.

"Thank you," he told her. "You have no idea what this meant to us."

"Poor you," she said simply, not a trace of compassion in her voice. "You're so in love."

"You don't understand, Jane, you've never loved anyone."

"Don't tell me what I do or don't understand, ok?" she said sharply.

"Why are you helping us, if you hate us so much?" I had to ask her.

"Precisely because of that. I can't stand your presence here and I'll do anything to get rid of you both. It just turns out that in order to do so I have to cross over to your side and help you."

Edward sighed, but I could see he was trying to hold back a smile. It was contagious.

"So what comes next?" I asked, looking for a distraction.

"As soon as your family has something they'll let me know, we'll discuss it and then I will tell you. As for you," she turned to me, "I'll try to keep Aro away from you so he doesn't find out about this by touching you. Do something yourself and stay out of his way as much as possible. Practice with him," she looked at Edward, "how to mask and hide your thoughts. You'll need it when He touches you."

I nodded, for lack of something to say. She looked at us, as if evaluating something, and after she seemed to find it she left.

Edward and I looked at each other, and we knew we were thinking the same: everything had changed, allegiances were perhaps shifting, and what we had felt one hour ago was no longer true. In a moment like that, where the ground we walked on vanished as soon as we took a step, were we safe anymore? Who could we trust? Who was friend, who was enemy, whose hand was held out to help and whose to drag us into a point of no return?

We couldn't know. Not even with Edward's talent, not with mine: Edward could hear minds, I could see the future, but, who can see a heart?

No one, of course. No one.


	61. Ice Hearts

**Ice Hearts**

_Jane's POV_

So it was started. I'd just begun a major betrayal operation that could cost my life. I stayed calm, though; I'd done that before, and gotten away with it. You could think that helping the Cullens wasn't worth it at all, but this meant so much more to me. I was scared. Very scared.

I'd originally thought that once Aro had his girl he would get over her; the desire satisfied and the case closed. He'd keep her here a few days and then send her back, along with her family. But instead, once he got a taste of what she could be, he wasn't able to let go, each day he became more and more dependent of her; on the other side she had turned out to be weaker than I'd thought, incapable of defending herself or escaping. I had guessed they would eventually repel or destroy each other but, as always, it all ended up falling on me. I had to be the responsible one, the one to clean up everyone's chaos. Oh well.

My real fear wasn't actually getting caught, though that of course worried me. What really tormented me was: what would happen if I failed? If for some reason the plan went down and the Cullens stayed longer? That would be a tragedy, for endless reasons. For one, I knew that Aro had only agreed to let Esme go –though her pregnancy was what had originally attracted him the most- because he hoped Alice could give him a child. He wanted to examine this strange wonder of a child that was purely vampire, and this one would be all the worthier because it would be _his_, and, more important, _hers_. It would be his greatest treasure, no one else but _them_ would matter then. What about us? Alec, Felix, Demetri, me? We'd be left aside just as swiftly as we had been taken, and I couldn't allow that. Not to mention my personal… pain… if he and she… had… never mind.

And what if Edward stayed, too? Whether he wanted it or not, Aro would give him a high rank, each time higher and higher, and that, too, would mean a threat for everyone else. You get an idea of how much I really hated the Cullens when I thought not only of mine and Alec's protection, but also of Demetri's, Felix's, and everyone else in the guard. It was our world, not theirs. A life we'd built with centuries of effort and hard work, of having to prove our loyalty and effectiveness time and time again, and were we just going to step aside and let those children –because that's what they were, children. Edward's handful of decades when our career could be measured in hundreds of years?- take our places? Not so fast. Not without putting up a fight. Unfortunately, most of the Volturi guard feared Aro too much, or perhaps some respected the Cullens too much, and nobody dared make a move

I started as always, outlining what I wanted to get and what I wanted to be rid of. I knew who I could count on, here and in the outside. It was real luck that Alice's husband was truly the most jealous man on Earth –honestly, when I first heard him talk about her, I wondered how she put up with him-, and that therefore he was willing to do whatever it took to get her back. A part of me imagined what a thing it would be when Jasper finally found out that Aro had touched his wife –hell broken loose. But all in all, it was a strong family, and giving that they had gradually recovered most family members that had been with us, such as the toddlers, Rosalie and Esme, they were confident about their success. I didn't like the Cullen men, but I had to give them credit for perseverance and will. So, I had a few allies, I hoped that Edward and Alice would wake up after their family appeared.

I called Jasper a few more times to polish details; I spoke to Emmett and Carlisle as well. One of those times, they asked me to let them talk to their significant others. I gave them time to speak alone, for I couldn't stand their sugary conversations, and went to talk to my brother, whose head was always colder than mine, and the only one whose love I could be sure of.

_Alice's POV_

"I love you."

"I love you more."

I heard Jasper's soft laughter through the phone, then his voice became all business. "Listen, we now have the house in the south available. You know which one, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Ok, so we were thinking about waiting until after Esme had had her babies, but given what's going on there with you we can't wait. As soon as possible we'll send Rosalie, Esme, Carlisle, Bella and all the children to the house. Then Emmett and I will go to Italy get you both."

"You sure this is safe?" I asked. It didn't seem that it would actually be that easy.

"Yes. Jane promised to tell us when the coast will be clear for this to work. You'll pretend to go hunting and then she'll give you to us."

"Sure? She'll get killed if she's caught, and she knows it."

"Yeah, I thought the same. She'll probably send someone she doesn't like. There must be a benefit for her in all this; she can't be doing it out of kindness." Jasper's voice sounded like he was thinking aloud; I remembered the adorable frown that appeared on his face whenever he did that, and I shook with longing.

"Do you think she plans on betraying us?"

"No. It would be a waste of her time. Alice, I'm just as lost as you about Jane's attitude, but I think she sounds sincere. There's no reason why she shouldn't be. You haven't seen anything strange, haven't you? Has Edward picked up something in her head?"

"No. Edward says her mind is strongly protected, that she even shields herself unconsciously. We think it's because she has quite some misbehaving to hide from Aro."

"Well, we'll have to trust her, then," he said, not too convinced or pleased, but resigned to this fact.

The door opened and Jane reappeared, this time with Alec. They appeared to have been laughing. A sign of Jane being capable of happiness was so hard to process that for a second neither Edward nor I could think of something to say. She was the one to start, her voice cold and calm though she was still holding her brother's hand.

"All right, listen. We've got it all planned. You're going to say you want to hunt. If Aro refuses, leave it to me, I'll convince him. The point is, you will get the permission one way or the other, and you'll go at night. Not that one of us would have trouble seeing you, but we can take longer at night because that's the time when everybody hunts and it won't seem weird that you leave. Sunlight and people, you know. You won't be missed till dawn, and by then I hope you're far enough and smart enough not to let yourselves be caught. Who will get you?"

"Emmett and Jasper."

"Your fighters. Good. We are not expecting a fight, but they will be useful. So, in summary: I get you the coast clear, time, and I keep my mouth shut, and in return you never even think of coming back into our lives. Understood?"

We nodded.

"Jane?" began Edward.

"Yes?"

"What do you really want? I mean, you must be getting something huge out of this; otherwise you would never help us. What is it?"

"Mind your own business, won't you? I'm helping you and that's all you should care about."

"But-"

"My reasons I keep to myself, Edward. If you keep asking stuff that has nothing to do with you I'll think that you prefer to stay and hear about my life while your sister is owned and enjoyed by Aro. If that's what you want, so be it."

Her comment hit home. Edward mumbled an apology and Jane left, requesting that we polished our plan and tried to act as soon as possible. When she disappeared behind the door I hurried to comfort him.

"Don't worry about what she said," I told him as I ran my fingers through his hair.

"How can I not, Alice? She's right, I was so selfish… Trying to annoy her because I have nothing better to do here, while you… how am I ever going to face Jasper?"

"Hush, brother, hush. Do you think I don't ask myself that very same question every single day? I mean, he'd been my only man, ever, my one and only love, and now… Do you think I don't feel dirty? Ashamed? And it's worse because Aro doesn't hurt me, so I feel like I'm really betraying my husband. But we've talked about this, Edward, remember we agreed on keeping this a secret. Jasper must never, ever know what has happened between Aro and me. You know he'd go mad if he found out. As soon as we escape, let's just pretend it didn't happen."

"As if we could."

"We have to try. For them."

She was right. Maybe I couldn't be strong enough for myself, but I had to resist for Bella's sake, for Kristen, for Robert. My family. Alice was just under the same situation. She felt she didn't have the strength, but she knew she had to have it for her Jasper and her children. Well, then we'd have to go on.

We spent the rest of the day doing what Jane had told us to: think and plan. By the time she came back, allowing us another call in which she and Alec intervened, exchanging ideas with our family back home, we had everything ready. Talking to everyone just refined it. We could strike any time we wanted with no chance of failure. And we would.


	62. Flying Away

**Flying Away**

"Come here."

He waved me forward and traced the lines of my face with his fingers. He put his hands on my waist, but as he pulled me closer I couldn't stand it anymore.

"No."

I pulled back. His eyes were shocked. "What?"

"I don't want to do it, Aro." The look on his eyes made me add, "You can't force me."

His next move took me by surprise. All of a sudden he had me pinned against the wall, holding my arms over my head.

"Can't I?" he said softly.

Horror washed over me as I realized how very much he could. In that moment he could do anything he wanted with me. He looked into my eyes and I knew he could notice what was going on in my head. Finally, he released me with an air that could only be described as disdainful.

"Silly girl," he said. "I won't give you the pleasure of forcing you and making you feel you're that wanted. Do as you please, but don't think that refusing me will take you any closer to your beloved Jasper."

With that, he left. I sat on the bed, ran my fingers through my hair, and thought about what he'd said. I felt bad because I knew I _was_that wanted, and in some twisted, Stockholm way I didn't want to hurt Aro's feelings. And true, rejecting him wouldn't shorten the distance between me and the man I loved, but it did help me feel less disgusted with myself. Every time Aro touched me left a deep wound of betrayal. I felt dirty, I felt I could never face Jasper again, or my children. I hated myself. And now that we'd set a day for our plan I felt the need to be as clean as possible to meet my Jasper.

I went to Edward's room and made him promise he'd never, ever say a word to Jasper about Aro and me, it would kill him. I asked the same thing to Jane, who limited herself to shrug and say she wasn't interested enough in my intimate life to be talking about it.

As the day of our plan drew closer and closer, I had something like anxiety attacks, and so did Edward. The knowledge that we would soon be back where we truly belonged to was almost too beautiful to bear. I had a need for my children that hurt; I knew that they were perfectly fine because they were with Jasper, but that didn't make the horrible anguish go away. If everything went as planned I would be just in time for Leo's birthday, and that idea pleased me to no end. Edward and I couldn't wait to have this era way behind us, and though we knew that the moment we escaped we'd be forced to go into hiding for years and years we refused to feel one bit worried.

Staying away from Aro was difficult, though. He resented my rejection and was sharp in his manner when he addressed me, but some other times he eyed me with a mixture of fury and desire that frightened me. I tried to keep out of view, but that could raise suspicions, so in the end I showed myself once a day so he could see I was still within reach. However, he appeared to be punishing me –according to him-, because he never called me again. I waited and waited as days grew longer but the distance between my Jasper and me grew shorter.

Finally, the day arrived. In between secret phone calls, hidden text messages, and whispered treasons, the day of our liberation arrived. Since our plan was to be carried out during the night we spent every daylight second in agony. You know, when you're waiting for something to happen, you might be patient for weeks, months, maybe even years, but when there are just a few hours left, then you feel like you're going to explode, like you can't stand one more second. That's how I felt. The simple knowledge that maybe in 24 hours I would be hugging my babies again was too beautiful, too heartbreaking. And Jasper, oh my Jasper, to be in his arms once again! I missed him, I wanted him, I desired him more than anything in the world. We hadn't been away from home for too long, but it tasted like an eternity.

"Well, are you ready?" said Jane as the sun began to hide.

"Yes."

"Good. I've just spoken to your significant other, Alice, and he says they're just outside the city."

I involuntarily glanced towards the window, as if I could see my husband hiding in the shadows.

She continued to address me. "As soon as it gets dark you'll go to Aro and ask him to let you and Edward go hunting together. Tell him you're going with Corin. Do whatever you must, but get the permission before eight, ok?"

"Ok."

"Well, now, I suppose I'll leave you to pack, or… yeah, whatever. At seven-thirty I'll come get your things and at eight _sharp_ I want you at the Addolorata Chapel, do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Till then."

When Jane left Edward wrapped me tightly in his arms.

"We're going home, little sister. We're going home."

I hugged him back. "I know. Our children, Edward, we'll see our children! I'll be back on time for my Leo's birthday."

"Ah, darling," he kissed my head. "We're going to owe Jane for eternity."

I laughed. "I know. But it's worth it." Then I added. "Edward, don't forget our promise. Not a word to Jasper about… you know what. Please?"

Convincing Aro was actually easy. He still hadn't forgiven me after our little problem and seemed glad to have me away for a while. It might sound sick, but then I realized that I would kind of miss him. He'd tried to be kind to me, to please me and make me happy; the fact that he had failed terribly wasn't consciously his fault. He'd never insulted me, or hurt me, or did anything specially to make me feel bad, all the contrary. He'd tried to be a good lover, caring about me even more than about himself, and yeah, all in all I just couldn't hold a grudge. And, of course, I would never forget that he had once saved my little girl's life. It was all very overwhelming and confusing. I would have liked to tell him at least some of this, but suddenly I caught Cauis' eye, not nearly as friendly, and decided to just leave before he could suspect anything. I left behind all the gifts he'd given me: jewels, dresses, and the like, because taking them when I was leaving forever felt like stealing. I hoped he would understand it that way.

We followed our plan meticulously and met Jane at exactly the time she'd said. She didn't look at us, her eyes fixed on a distant point. It took us two seconds to see it: a big car, with tinted windows and a dark frame that lost itself in the night. Our family. The car came to a halt a few meters away from us and the doors opened. It was him. God, it was really him. It was him, it was him. We tried to be as calm as possible, we'd agreed on it, we would be sensible, mature grownups without a whole show of our reunion. The moment our eyes met, we flew to each other's eyes, even letting out a quiet cry. Our breath came out in fast pants, our nails dug in each other's backs. I buried my face in his chest and I was home.

I felt his arms around me and I knew I would be safe. He held me tight, every inch of my body pressed against hism, and the feeling of his hard chest, his height, the delicious manly aroma of leather and old books that was purely Jasper, his hands on my body, they made enormous waves of adoration and desire sweep through me, one after the other and all together. I loved him and wanted him with a desperation and longing that burst through my chest. When I looked into his eyes, they were just as hungry as mine.

"Could you please save your dirty shows for when you're far away from me?" said Jane in a tone of deep disgust that made us both laugh as we tried to separate. Not far from us, a very surprised Edward was being wrapped in Bella's desperate, loving arms.

"Why did you come, darling?" he asked. "It's dangerous, you could get hurt." But by the way he held her it looked like her being there was just the thing he wanted.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't come?" she replied. That I would go with the others while you… no, Edward, I couldn't stand it, I needed you _now_. Jasper was coming to get Alice, why wouldn't I come get you?"

"Seriously, do you want to get caught or what?" growled Jane angrily. "Your brother is waiting for you."

Emmett was in a huge car that looked brand-new; his face had just the same expression as Jane's, but with his unmistakable undertone of lightness and joking.

"Jane," began Jasper as he turned to her and spoke in what for the first time ever wasn't disgust, hatred or indifference towards her. He sounded grateful, respectful, even. "We will never be able to thank you enough for what you have done for us. Consider us forever in your debt. We owe you big time."

"Of course you do." She chuckled. "You silly lot, you could have done all this, organized yourselves perfectly well, without me doing anything, without my even finding out! You're just such cowards… Now I have you here," she flexed her hand, "and can do as I please with you. You're so lucky the only thing I want from you is to never see you again."

We didn't know what to answer, so we just looked at each other until Bella said,

"Well, thanks anyway, Jane, whatever your reasons are. Good luck."

"Yeah, whatever," she replied. "Just go, will you?"

I couldn't help a smile. I tightened my grip around Jasper's waist as he secured his own around my shoulders. Gosh, I wanted him. He thanked Jane with a whisper so full of gratitude that both she and I stared at him.

We got into the car, where Emmett greeted us with a roll of his eyes and a kiss on the forehead for me, a slap on the shoulder for Edward.

"I missed you," he said, then cleared his throat. So Emmett. It was heaven to see him again.

He drove normally around Volterra, a decent speed, trying to remain inconspicuous. The moment we were out in the field, he punched the pedal fiercely and we were flying.

Jasper and I curled up in the farthest line of seats while Edward and Bella took the middle one. My legs were on his lap, our arms tightly around each other. From time to time our lips drew closer, wanting to touch, but we never did, because we knew that the moment we did we wouldn't be able to stop, and, as Emmett had told us from the first moment, we had to keep our little shows to ourselves. To concentrate, I asked for news.

"How is Esme? Her babies?"

"Well, she's… huge. You'll be just in time for the birth of our little siblings," he chuckled.

I asked then the big question, the question that made my heart swell and my eyes prickle. "And… ours?"

"Our children are perfect, my love. Leo will be so happy to have you for his birthday. They're gorgeous and healthy. They miss you a lot, though, but I tried to explain the situation the best I could, and they seemed to understand." After a pause he added. "But… didn't you See them while you were here?"

"I tried. At the beginning. But then… it was… hard… I just… I couldn't… it felt like…" I couldn't say it out loud. I made him feel it instead, and with his power he saw that it just had hurt too much to let my mind wander home, that it was better to stay one day at a time. He held me even tighter and rubbed my back and arms, wordless as well.

According to Emmett, we were driving in this car till the very end of the journey; it was new and registered under a false name. It was safer to drive because it was the very thing that no one would expect us to do. Emmett called home (via a new, untraceable phone) and said, almost in code, that the operative had been successful. Their happiness was loud enough that Jasper and I could hear it. I sighed contently and cuddled closer to him, rejoicing in the pleasure of feeling like a little girl, protected and cared for, with Jasper's body hovering slightly over mine, protecting me from any harm. Only with him had I even been able to get that feeling. I knew that as long as we were together I would be safe.

And away we drove, as I sank into the arms of my man, finally on my way to freedom.

**Hello! Hey, wanna ask you something: would you forgive me if next chapter got a little… not lemony, but kind of, I don't know, citric? Is that ok with you? It's just that I've been wanting to do that for ages, and I can't hold it anymore. Let me know, won't you? Thanks. I love you. XOXO**


	63. The Meeting

**The Meeting**

We drove for another full day and then, just as dawn appeared in the horizon, we arrived to our new hiding place. There was a lot of noise inside, because Emmett had already called announcing our arrival to the rest of the family. They were already outside the house, Carlisle and Rosalie, and we could hear Esme inside with the kids. The moment Edward and I got out of the car, Carlisle wrapped us in a tight fatherly hug.

"My children. You are back. Thank God. We missed you so much," he said fervently. "Your mother was terribly worried about you, and so was I."

He was so authentic, so truly like a father to us… We were home, safe and protected and away from any danger. The Cullens were together and indestructible again.

"How is Esme?" asked Edward.

"Happy and huge. You're just in time, I think those kids were just waiting for you to be here to arrive. Come in, this is home. Oh, Esme is so happy!"

We went inside the house and immediately saw Esme's beautiful face smiling at us. She seemed so excited that she had no words. She tried to get up from the sofa where she was sitting, but she was so enormous now that even vampire movements were difficult for her. Instead, we ran to her side, hugging her and receiving caresses and loving words.

It was then that I heard them

"Mama!"

My babies! My children! I never knew when, but suddenly I was kneeling on the floor, holding them to my heart as if there was no tomorrow. Gosh, how I'd wanted this, I hadn't realized before. It seemed centuries since I'd last seen them, my Leo when I sent him home from Italy and Hershey, even before that. Only then did I notice how torn my heart had truly been, how much it had bled; the pain I'd tried to block to survive emerged to the very surface and I felt the agony of the old longing mixed with the overjoy of the present. They were crying, both of them, and I was as close as a vampire could. I felt Jasper kneeling next to us, and soon he had pulled us three into his arms. He kissed my head and my cheek and held us even tighter. We spent a few minutes together in this way until we found the courage to get up. A similar scene was taking place not far from us, where Edward, Bella, Kristen and Robert were celebrating the reunion of their own little family.

Then came endless hours of chatting, everyone catching up with each other. I carefully avoided as many mentions of Aro as I could, never going too deep in my descriptions. Edward helped me, changing subject, telling more stories and asking questions. My children were now asleep on my lap, their efforts to stay awake and talk to me had finally failed. Jasper and I looked at each other, and then announced we were putting them to bed. Deep down, we knew that we were also desperately looking for an excuse to be alone. We went upstairs and he showed me into the children's nurseries: beautifully decorated rooms (there were three of them, one for each pair of kids) that reminded me of the ones they'd had back in Volterra. We put them in their cots and pulled the creamy curtains over them. The beauty of finally being home with my little family was overwhelming, and I sought Jasper's arms to convince myself that I wouldn't lose it again. We hugged, so tight, and then we looked at each other. Our eyes met, he caressed my cheek with the back of his hand, and, very slowly and tentatively, we kissed.

A shy kiss, at first, re discovering our lips, and then they recognized each other, how perfectly they molded and blended together, and then we lost it. Our embrace was just as tight, but it was now flooding with passion, he pulled my hair fiercely while I scratched his back. He lifted me off the ground and carried me to the next room, connected to the nursery through a door. There he put me on my feet again, kissing me all the time. Then our lips separated, and he held my face in his hand, stroking my hair and skin. With the tips of his fingers, very slowly, he traveled from my shoulders down to my hips, and up again. He put his hands on my waist and began rubbing the sides of my torso, hips to ribs, up and down. I moaned. He rubbed faster. I crashed my lips against his and he walked forward, forcing me to step back until I hit the wall. Once he had me pinned against it his hands moved from my waist to my chest, caressing lovingly yet fiercely. They slipped under my blouse and then, slowly, under my skirt. It tickled me, and I laughed. I felt his smile on my lips as his hands travelled further.

"Off," he said, pulling at my clothes. "Off with it."

"With what?"

"_Everything._ Everything goes, now."

Who was I to disobey? I did as told and felt my desire increase when his actions mimicked mine. The moment there was no more fabric between us I found myself in the bed, with Jasper's perfect body tangled in mine.

The one true good thing about having been intimate with Aro was this: I could now compare more objectively. I could now see how wonderful absolutely Jasper was in bed. I tried to separate love from pleasure, distinguishing what he did to my heart from what he did to my body, and I realized that Jasper had made me feel in minutes more that what Aro had done in weeks. I remembered Jacob's kiss, too, back in my human times, but still nothing could compare to my Jazz. I wished I could tell him, I wished I could let him know what a man he was, how superior to the others, but that was beyond impossible. To make up for that, I reciprocated his actions and tried to give him back the ecstasy he produced in me.

I remembered our first times, how inexperienced I'd been, how frustrated I'd felt when I could do almost nothing besides lying there and try some shy stuff that only made him smile. Ah, but I had my own skills now, and I felt proud and satisfied to be able to correspond, to see him shake and moan with my abilities. I knew what he liked to hear, how the sound of my whispering voice in his ear turned him crazy, and I knew that his neck and chest melted under my lips.

"I love you-" he panted "-so much-".

"I love you, too," I replied feebly, scratching his back.

"You're mine."

"Yours, Jazz, yours. Forever, yours."

Then it became too much to speak.

_Jasper's POV_

And so my queen fairy was back. I had her back with me, and I swam in the satisfaction of having proved that she was mine. She belonged to me and no one else, and now that I had her by my side once again I could face the entire world.

"I missed you," I murmured as my body rocked over hers. "I missed you so much…"

"I missed you too, Jazz," she cooed back and her breath was just as ragged as mine.

We'd been married for years yet our desire for each other had anything but decreased. It still burned, burned like the first time I saw her, when she walked into my house and introduced herself as the photographer. Heaven knows I could only think of her during the whole interview, only had eyes for her. I loved her, more than my own life, but I also desired her with a passion that made me lose my mind. Her soft body was underneath my own, undulating and vibrating and trembling. I watched her face: lips slightly open to let the pants out, lips that were often bitten while a moan fought its way out. I caressed from her chest to her legs and her head fell back. I admired her perfectly toned figure, so small, graceful, sensual and inviting. This was a body I knew better than my own, every shape and curve, every texture. The children hadn't changed her body if not to improve it, and then after her transformation she was turned into an absolutely perfect creature.

Long gone was the girl who had given me her innocence years ago, the night I gave her the secret of who I was and in exchange she had surrendered her purity. I, of course, had received much more. But she was a woman now, we'd shared years of passion and had formed a whole dynamic together, we knew each other, and we knew exactly what to do. Between my growls and her whimpers I could feel the tension building through the soft vibrations of our voices.

I heard a new sound: she had torn a part of the sheet under her. We were one body, joined, melted into each other. No amount of time could ever reduce the pleasure we found together. We knew each other's body better than we knew our own and in this re exploration the pieces of the puzzle had never met in a higher ecstasy.

_Alice's POV_

He held my hips with both hands and moved them to his rhythm while he half-moaned, half-cried and our pants were synchronized with his thrusts. His chest rubbed against mine and I searched for his lips. My fingers tangled in his hair and I pulled it, my legs locked around his waist and he caressed them while I buried my face in his hair. It happened instinctively, out of my control –I only could feel my teeth bite into the skin of his neck. I had only one second to be horrified about what I had done before his final cry of pleasure pulled me along into oblivion.

When, hours later, the sun shined through the curtains onto our skin, I was tenderly wrapped in his arms.

"Don't be offended," he said quietly, "but… you're so good."

As an answer, I cuddled closer to him. He kissed the top of my head

I looked up and saw his new scar, the silver crescent on his neck, and felt horribly guilty.

"Jazz, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to," I apologized, kissing the mark.

"Oh, love, please don't worry about that. I love it."

"You do?"

"Of course. It marks me as yours. Look, you have one that I did," at this he touched my own scar, lightly brushing it with his fingertips. "It seems only fair that you give me one. Now there will be no doubt that we're together."

"Thank you," I murmured, and kissed him.

"Well, time to get up," he finally said. I groaned and he laughed. "Come on, sweetheart, we have to feed our children." He mussed my hair.

_Sweetheart, _I repeated in my head. Mmh, how I'd missed that. He had a way of saying those endearments that was cute and sexy at the same time. It made me want to pull him back to bed with me, but also want to hug him like a big fluffy bear.

In the end, though, he won and I had to get up. A sudden urge to see my children arose in me and I got dressed as quickly as I could. Once we were fully dressed he took me in his arms and kissed me, a long, deep, sweet kiss, with our arms around each other and giggles escaping our lips. Then we went to the nursery, and I just couldn't get enough of our children. The moment I came into the nursery they turned to me and held out their arms, squealing with joy when I hugged them. Their little hands touched my face and hair, and they kissed my cheeks. Hershey's eyes were a copy of how mine had once been, and Leo's brown curls were a direct inheritance from Jasper. Both had grown less than I'd thought, they were still babies, and it was an absolute joy to cradle them in my arms, to hear their sweet voices struggling to form words. They had missed me, too, which made me feel incredibly touched. Gosh, there were no words to express how much I adored them, how much they meant to me, the light they'd brought into my life. The three of them. Jasper and I had a baby each, and I kissed my little family by turns. When I got to my Jazz, it was the sweetest union ever.

Just then, we were interrupted by a series of screams. We switched into full alert, expecting an attack or something of that nature. The voice was Rosalie's and she sounded quite altered. We paid more attention and finally we understood what she was saying.

"Everyone! Everyone! Here! Now! It's Esme! The kids! Kids are coming! Everyone here! Now! Carlisle! _CARLISLE !_"

"Oh God," murmured Jasper. In two seconds we were downstairs. The hysteria felt delicious. I was truly home.


	64. Let It Be

**Let It Be**

Lucas and Brianna were born after quite a series of events. The problem was that Carlisle, like the good doctor he was, had practically disappeared as soon as Esme went into labor. It took Emmett three phone calls to reach him in the hospital –though we were supposed to be hiding, Carlisle's desire to help everyone was something not even he could control-, which he left in apparent hysteria and on top of everything he got caught in the traffic. It was a solid hour before he made it home, and since it seemed that the kids were determined to be delivered by no other than their father, they gave Esme the hardest of times.

But they were born safe and beautiful, two of the most special and unique creatures to ever walk on Earth, and they were certainly something to look at. They were tiny and cute as any other newborn baby, as mine or Bella's had been, yet there was a definite something in them. Pale, pale, pale, and just never ending paleness in a smooth and soft surface. They were warm, but it was the warmth of being inside their mother, and it was obvious it would fade within hours, leaving a coldness very similar if not identical to ours. They were obviously more beautiful than your ordinary child, charm and beauty that were irresistible and that Edward later told me was very much like that of the immortal children: one look and they owned you forever. That was certainly the case with our new… siblings? ... you just wanted to ate them with kisses, they were so loveable. They had features from both their parents, Esme's smile, or the shade of her hair; Carlisle's lips and eyes. They were born smiling instead of crying, and their appeal was so special it seemed like a full spell of some old magic.

_Rosalie's POV_

They were unbelievable. So gorgeous. The proof of some miracle no one could have ever imagined was there, soft and cold, beautiful and invincible. Full vampire children, a thousand times more charming than the half-breeds and obviously unique. They were all dimples and smiles and soft baby coos that already, so soon, seemed to be struggling to form words. They were eager to discover every new thing, holding out their little hands to us all and in a way it was more like they welcomed us to their world rather than the other way around.

As for the parents, they hadn't said a word from the first moment they'd laid eyes on their babies. All they could do was stare at them, smiling with eyes that looked almost tearful, only now and then daring to raise a finger and touch their soft, delicate baby hair. It was then when we realized that we were kind of blocking and ruining the moment of the new family, and decided to leave. I don't think they noticed. Once outside the room Emmett held my hand and we turned to the others to see what plans they had for the night.

"Jasper, do you want me to take Leo again?" I asked. The baby often had trouble falling asleep and I knew just the way to soothe him. He had stayed with us quite a few nights.

"Oh, Rose, thank you, but, you know, Leo's always been a mama's boy and now that she's back," he passed an arm around Alice and kissed her, "I think he'll be already asleep when we arrive."

"Don't worry, Jasper, it's fine. I'm sure he'll be safe and protected. That's what matters."

Edward and Bella were on their way upstairs, and since Emmett and I had also looked after their twins more than once, I repeated the offer.

"Rose, Em, that's so nice of you, but tonight we're taking the cots to our bedroom. We want them to sleep close to us so we can watch over them and, well, make up for some of our lost time."

"I understand, Edward. That's lovely. Enjoy them, you deserve it."

And so Emmett and I went back to the area of the property that belonged to us, alone and with no plan for the night. We had used to go out and tour every single bar and pub we could find, but now that we were hiding we couldn't show ourselves in public unless it was too necessary. Carlisle's vocation had been too persistent and nobody had the heart to stop it, not to mention that he had been welcomed to the hospital with open arms. We all knew how important that was to him and so the amount of time that the rest of the Cullens could be seen by other people was being reserved and minimized as much as possible.

We went to the beach instead. The property Carlisle had bought included a private beach, and though even in summer the water would be a shower of ice to any human, for us it was just perfect. That night, however, we didn't swim. Instead we walked along the sand, holding hands in complete silence. In the distance the lights of the house were on, a couple of rooms and the first floor. It looked so remote, so strangely different… It was as if we didn't belong there, as if it was the house of strangers, not our home. Of course, such perceptions were foolish, of course it was our place, the one place where we truly belonged and the one family that was us. Nonetheless it felt strange, there was an uncomfortable sensation of distance.

"I know it's weird," murmured Emmett. As always, he could read my thoughts better than Edward. "But if they could, so can we. Don't be sad, Rose, soon you won't have to borrow."

I knew exactly what he meant. During the time that Edward and Alice had been gone I often looked after their children, since Jasper and Bella were either worrying or trying to figure out how to help their mates. And when Jane had gotten in touch with Jasper, the children were almost fulltime with me and Em. We were too used to each other… I was too used to them. I had learned what lullaby they preferred, which was Kristen's favorite sweater and Leo's favorite teddy bear, how each of them liked dinner, and who was afraid of the dark. I knew I had absolutely no right over them, and that they were exactly where they should be, with their parents, but the pang of jealousy was still there. Our family had grown too quickly in the last years, first with the arrival of Alice and the following marriage and birth of Hershey and Leo, then with the appearance of Bella in Edward's life, they had their twins now. Then came this shocking situation with Esme, the absolutely unthinkable, and there were two more children in the house. You didn't need to be a genius to realize that Emmett and I were the only childless couple in the family.

The second I found out that Esme was pregnant my mind began uncontrolled, frantic calculations. I'd been able to stand my brother and Edward having children because their wives had been humans at the time, but Esme was completely different, she was like me, a vampire. How had it been possible? Hadn't we tried for years and years, all sorts of strategies, all sorts of everything we could think of, with absolutely no success? As soon as the impact of the news had begun to calm down on Carlisle Emmett and I attacked him with endless questions as to what they had done. And God, didn't we try hard. We thought, Carlisle too, that given the effort we were putting in, and the perfect condition in which both of us were, it was even possible that Esme and I could be pregnant simultaneously. The idea cheered us, and we thought it almost certain. However, months passed and my body was still dry and empty.

Then came the attack of the Volturi, I was taken to them along with Kristen and Leo and Esme, and it was only by mere luck that I was able to trick them and escape. When I got home, of course, my having a baby was no longer the priority; all everyone could think of was ways to get the rest of the family back. Carlisle was too distressed and terrified to pay any attention to Emmett and I, to guide us, assist us, help us, and though we completely understood, and were just as worried about our siblings, and did all the research and scheming we could to help them, there was still the faintest of frustration.

It was selfish, of course, terribly selfish, and I knew it. It hurt to know I was that kind of person, to envy my family and to be upset because they wouldn't share their children with us. But it still hurt. Like hell.

We sat on the sand, and Emmett pulled me into an embrace. His arms were around me and my head rested on his chest; I knew he was just as hurt as me, but he still made and effort to be the one to provide comfort. This was a side of him that only I knew: the sweet, quiet, caring side of Emmett who, contrary to what anyone else would believe, was perfectly capable of seriousness, of control, and, more than anything, of a never-ending tenderness. I was the only recipient of such feelings and the knowledge of that made a small wave of pride and self-congratulation dance inside me. I snuggled closer to his body, letting his massive form envelop me almost entirely, and I closed my eyes. His lips kissed the top of my head as I did my best to get as close to sleep as possible. Anything was better than this hungry darkness that was quickly swallowing me and making some awful feelings stir deep inside my heart.

_Alice's POV_

I wondered what was going on in Volterra. By then surely they knew all about our escaping, and I couldn't begin to imagine Aro's rage. More than anything, I was curious about how Jane had gotten out of the whole thing. If there was something I was absolutely sure of, it was that Jane would never, ever get caught in this one; no one would be able to relate her to these events. That's why I tried to figure what she would do now, who she would blame it on, but her scheming and absolute power were too much for me. She would find a way, that was certain, and since we hadn't told her where we would be hiding (not that she cared, for that matter) I knew that no matter what she said we'd all be safe.

Still, I couldn't help but feel sorry about Aro. I knew he sincerely liked me, and, after all, he hadn't hurt me at all, neither emotionally or physically. Sure, he knew I didn't want to be there, he knew I longed to be with my family, but in a way I could see his point and understand him. I promised to myself I would watch out for his future and if I saw anything he ought to know about I would let him know. I would do the same for Jane; no matter what her reasons had been we owed her.

But right now the priority were the new babies. Something that had never happened before, a circumstance absolutely unique, and we had two of them. Everyone knew that though Carlisle had said he would observe them, see how they behaved and what their nature was, he was so utterly mesmerized by the fact that they were his children, more important, Esme's, that it would be quite a while before he could do anything else but coo them and watch them sleep while commenting on their perfection. Bella and I understood that perfectly: when I had Hershey, confused as I was by having a half-human, half-vampire, I was so thrilled to have a baby daughter that it was all I could think about; how that little child was mine, so perfect, so gorgeous, and that she was also the daughter of the man I loved. The same happened when Leo was born. Bella felt the same way towards her twins. More than immortals, more than vampires or humans, they were our children. That's why it was us who did the observing for Carlisle and Esme, we watched the babies' behavior and attitudes, far calmer and more controlled than any other children their age.

They were too beautiful, of course, baby beauty and vampire charm merged in one body, not to mention how smart they already seemed to be. Though they didn't speak they seemed to understand what was said to them and they would form their first words soon, anyway. The only thing was, they didn't show any remarkable talent beyond the vampire superpowers, not like my Leo, for example, whose Alec-meets-Jasper power had showed even before he was born and it had caused my illness during birth. Not like Kristen, who was able to "plant" memories into people's heads. But it was enough of a miracle that they existed, and whether they had extra abilities or not was the least of our concerns. We had never seen Carlisle and Esme so absolutely, so mindlessly, so blissfully and doubtlessly happy, the babies were healthy and glowing, and that was enough for us.

Edward and I were readapting to our recovered life, our freedom, and we tried our hardest to shut down the fear that they might find out our whereabouts and come after us. Once the twins were a couple of weeks old we had a huge, huge family meeting. The Cullens' numbers were now almost dangerously high, eight adults and six infants, a total of fourteen vampires and semi-vampires that would now be forced to live as far from humans and people in general for safety. We were too many to be unnoticed; humans would soon see that we weren't like them, and who knew how the kids would turn out like. I mean, since Hershey was about to turn four we could say that half-breeds were safe, but what about Lucas and Brianna? As much as we worshipped them we knew nothing, absolutely nothing about them, and there was always a risk there. We also had to stay hidden in case word went to the Volturi. Once again, I pictured Aro's fury, tried to imagine the moment when he realized that he had lost us, that he had lost me, and the idea of him finding us again was terrifying.

We were trying to decide if calling our former allies, the wolves, would be a good idea. During the time Edward and I had been in Volterra the wolves had been frequent visitors at our house because they felt the need to help the family after what Demetria had done. Our children had gotten used to them, and now they kind of missed them. If they were nearby, we could fight better if it came to that. The problem was that the Volturi knew they were with us, and could easily be tracking and spying not only them, but our friends in Denali or Ireland in order to see if we got in touch, to trace us. We had to be as secretive as possible, and the only thing we did was sending unsigned notes with no address to these special friends, letting them know that we were alive and safe. It hurt to keep secrets from those you loved.

That brought another worry to my list: Jasper didn't know that I had slept with Aro. Only God knew what he would do if he ever found out. Jasper was terribly jealous, and I had been about to talk to him about it when Leo was abducted and hell broke loose. But his jealousy was extreme, and he would go mad if he was told that another man had touched me. I was sure he would understand that I had no other choice, but I still didn't want to take any chances by telling him. So that was another secret that I needed to keep at all costs; Edward was the only other who knew about it and he had sworn he'd never say a word, but I still worried even if I trusted my brother.

"What are you thinking?" his voice caught me off guard. "I feel you troubled, what is it?" the deepness of his tone was rich and captivating; I closed my eyes for a second to enjoy it.

"It's nothing, my love," I lied. "Just the overall tragedy of this." I smiled.

He smiled, too. "We'll do it, Alice. All of us, you'll see. This family has never been in greater danger, but it also has never been stronger. Not only half the family is talented, but we have produced children that will also be gifted. Look at our son, look at Edward and Bella's daughter, already showing some sparks. I'm sure it won't be long before Hershey and Robert show something, they have good genes of both parents talented. If anything, we'll get stronger."

Gentle waves of comfort washed over me and I relaxed. I thought of Aro and then looked at Jasper, and decided that nothing in this world could ever be better than what I had now, in that very moment. Jasper surrounded me with his arms and pulled me tight against him. He wanted me, badly, and it felt good to know myself so desired by the man I loved more than my own life. We kissed, and in seconds it was uncontrollable. His hands roamed freely and passionately over my body, and mine did the same on his skin. After weeks of separation there was an immense fire inside us, and it didn't seem to be backing off any time soon; my fingers could have torn the hair from his scalp if I had pulled just a little bit more, just like his teeth could leave another crescent on my neck if he didn't watch out. But we just had enough time to get rid of Jasper's sweater and to fall scandalously on the bed before the voice interrupted us.

"Mama! Mama! Breakfast!"

"Oh God, Hershey," growled Jasper against my lips, "Doesn't she know how to hunt yet?" he kissed me again. But Hershey called out again.

"She's our daughter, Jazz. And she's just a baby, she can't hunt!" I laughed at the idea. "Plus, it probably means that Leo is hungry, too. We have to go. I know. It sucks. Let's go."

With all the effort in the world we got off the bed and readjusted our clothes before going into the children's bedroom, only to realize their food was downstairs. We took a kid each and tried to hurry, but they were growing restless. We really needed to find a way to stop the slavery they imposed on us. Just as we went down the corridor we met Rosalie and Emmett, who were going up to their floor while trying to shake the sand off their clothes.

"What is it?" asked Emmett at the sight of Leo's impatience.

"They're hungry."

"Ah, yes, yours get quite moody when they want food," laughed Rosalie. She must have noticed something in us, maybe Jasper was projecting something, for she said, "If you want, we can take care of this while you… while you finish any pending matters." She suppressed a giggle.

I would have retorted, but in that moment her offer was too good to turn down. We handed the kids to them, grateful for the help, and they did seem to calm down a little bit. But just as they turned around to head to the kitchen, I noticed a strange gleam in Rosalie's eyes as she caressed my son's hair. It lasted just a second, but it still stirred something inside me. My eyes met Jasper's and I knew he'd seen it, too. He held my hand as we went back to our room and he seemed to be thinking about something. I wanted to talk to him, but as soon as our eyes found the big white bed again words were unnecessary.


	65. Wounds

**Wounds**

The vision hit me with a reality that made me gasp as I froze.

"_I don't care what you have to do!" _his voice roared. "_Find them! They can't have just vanished! They must be somewhere! Get them back! Get _her_ back."_

It vanished as quickly as it had burst, but its effects were like a long, powerful wave that echoed inside me for a long time.

"Love, what is it? What's going on?"

I held on to Jasper's hand for support. "He knows. He knows and has sent them after us."

The fact that he knew was obvious, and we had all assumed that from the first second, but to feel his rage, so enormous and powerful and to know that he was directing all his forces against our family was terrifying. He'd been angry at me before, the time that I tried to convince him to let Esme go; he had quickly realized what I was doing and he had been furious. Though in the end he had obliged the memory of his shouts, of the way he had thrown me onto the floor of his study, of how I scared I had been. And now it was even worse, for if he was going to discharge his anger only on me I could deal with it, but now that I was back with my family it was my own husband and children that I was putting in danger. The feeling made my stomach turn.

I told Jasper all about the vision, Aro's exact words and feelings, and regretted it as soon as I'd done it. No matter how well I knew that Jasper's only fault was extreme jealousy it still surprised me how enraged he was, and how he even forbid me to leave the house in case Aro had his guard searching for me. That caused an argument between us, because I obviously refused to submit myself to such a whim, until I made him see reason. It wasn't much of a victory, for he kept saying that he would hunt them all down to protect our little family. As much as I loved him and admired his devotion for me and our children I couldn't help but be a little afraid of what he could do. I promised him I would keep him informed of any other vision, but I knew I would keep everything to myself from now on. I could only begin to imagine what would happen if he ever found out what had truly happened between Aro and me while I was in Italy. It made me shiver and I fought to hide the fact that sometimes Jasper scared me.

I was also fighting the desire to call Jacob to see how the pack was, if they'd been chased, attacked, if they were doing ok. I feared their phone would be intervened or their home somehow spied on, and that one call would put them in more risk, and after Esme and Edward agreed with me I had no choice but to swallow my fears and hope for the best. I knew there wasn't any way for me to look into their future, so I tried my best to think and will them into safety. Over the days I tried to think of a plan to keep them safe and still have news from them, unsuccessfully, and the anguish about how frail our lives were was killing me.

As if we didn't have enough difficulties as it was, we had begun to fight among ourselves. Those of us who had talents were trying to deal with the feeling of uselessness since nothing we could do could help our current situation. The boys were getting restless because the rule was to be as little time as possible in the open, and their need to move and explore and conquer was being cut down with no tolerance. Even our children were suffering, we could tell by their little fits and sudden silences and they cried much more often now. The whole thing was driving us mad.

It was until a month after Lucas and Brianna were born that Edward approached me and asked me to keep an eye on Rosalie's future. Since Jasper had already hinted at something similar, I asked my brother what he knew.

"Not much, I'm afraid. She's keeping me out of her mind, always thinking shield stuff when I'm around. But Jasper says he can feel something, though he cannot quite figure out what that is and we don't want her to think we're invading her privacy. Maybe you can see something, or, as a girl, get her to tell you something."

I began watching more closely, both her behavior and her future. I talked to Jasper too, after all she was his sister and he knew her well.

"I'm not exactly sure what it is. What worries me is that Emmett is showing more or less the same attitude, like they share the problem. They surely do, they share everything. Yet even he is starting to worry about her, I can sense it in the way he looks at her or speaks about her. I think he does know, though. He knows her too much not to see what is going on, but he won't tell, that much I'm sure of. Edward is right; perhaps you, or Bella, being girls, can get her to talk more easily than us guys. Try, love, please."

Having Rosalie to take care of helped to drive the worries away from my mind. And yes, watching her closely you could tell it wasn't the same Rose we'd always known. She wasn't the live, bright creature I was used to, she wasn't complaining about our current situation the way the rest of us were, she was keeping to herself, -for God's sake, Rosalie, keeping to herself! She really was changed. The worst part was that I couldn't even rely on Emmett for help because as my Jasper had said, Emmett showed a kind of weird process himself, not quite what Rosalie was going through but close. That was how Edward, Jasper and I found a way to bring our talents back to like; since we didn't want to disturb Carlisle and Esme now that they had their babies we took the whole problem in our hands.

After a week of watching and working closely with my husband and brother I noticed that it was when Rosalie was alone that she suffered worst. We spent time together as a family, big as it was, with all the children and everything, and in those moments she was said to be relaxed and to have genuinely happy thoughts with only soft touches of melancholy. Sometimes either Bella or I had to ask her to look after our children while we hunted, and though it made is feel bad to treat her as kind of a nanny she appeared to be happy then, too. It was when we picked up the kids, when the little families within the now large Cullen clan went to their rooms and Rosalie and Emmett were alone that the worst of her depression hit her. More than once I caught her deciding to run to the beach and spend hours there, where nobody could find her and see her like that, and more than once I saw her wanting to take it all out on humans, to go out hunting the way vampires were supposed to hunt, before logic and Emmett convinced her otherwise. As I finally began to see the pattern of her crisis I felt so bad that I refused to believe that reason and sought an answer somewhere else.

Days turned into weeks, and I saw no more of Aro's rage. Still I worried, because having seen my mind he knew how my visions worked and therefore how to play with them, so not seeing could actually mean that he had learned a way to hide information from me. Blindness was a feeling I hated, and the frustration made me understand why Rose sometimes wished she could hunt the normal way. I had Jasper, though, and his methods for relaxation were much preferable. We tried to overcome the strain that had invaded our relationship by spending time together and being as open to each other as we could possibly be, though of course my secret tormented me day and night. One afternoon, as I looked out the window of our room wishing we could go out more often, I felt Jasper's arms encircle me around the waist and pulling me to him. I smiled and put my hands over his.

"Alice," he said softly.

"Yes?"

"There's something… something that I've wanted to talk to you about for some time… something I want to ask you…"

"What is it, darling?"

"Well, you see, it's just that I've been thinking and I… I think that perhaps we could… if you want, of course, I don't want to put pressure on you, but maybe…"

"Just say it, Jazz."

He sighed. "I would like to have another child with you."

I turned around to face him. "W-what?"

"Yes. I mean, Esme and Carlisle could, and we could ask him what they did so that she could conceive and we could try, Alice, just try."

I didn't know if I could. After Leo Carlisle said I should be careful. He even advised to have me checked and make sure if I still could carry children, but then we had to rush into my transformation and we never knew. Evidently now that I was a vampire getting pregnant wouldn't be half as easy as it had been as a human; only God knows for how long Esme and Carlisle were trying. All this made me doubt before I answered Jasper, it would kill me to make him hope in vain, to make him spend years of misery before we realized I couldn't conceive anymore. But there was such light in his eyes, he was already hoping, hoping to see our baby grow inside me again, and I didn't have the heart to refuse him.

"Ok, Jazz," I said as I took his face in my hands, caressing his cheek and his eternally tangled hair. "We will try. I can't promise you anything, except that we will try."

And we did. Oh gosh, didn't we. But there was something missing there, I couldn't quite make out what it was but I knew that as long as it was there we wouldn't get anywhere. Not only that, it was driving us further apart still. Many a time I found myself just on the point of losing it and fighting with him over some small detail.

One evening he arrived to our room and took me by the waist. He kissed me, the long, slow kind of kiss I loved so much and it hurt me to realize I didn't feel quite the same anymore.

"You're so good," I whispered to him, but I said the words only I knew he liked being complimented. Intimacy nowadays felt more like a duty. He smiled back at me with tenderness, but I could tell he wasn't fooled by my words. He leaned forward and kissed a trail from my neck to my ear.

"Better than him?" he asked in a murmur.

For a moment I had no idea what he was talking about. "What? Who?"

"Alice. Alice, do you really think I don't know?"

Little by little realization hit. "You mean…"

"I mean that I'm perfectly aware that you slept with Aro while you were in Volterra."

My already frozen body turned into the hardest of stone.

"So you don't deny it."

I lowered my eyes. "Obviously I can't deny it."

He released me from his embrace and looked around as he sighed. "For a moment I thought… I hoped… that it had been a misunderstanding. That I heard wrong. That it was all false and that I was the only one in your life."

"You have always been the only one in my life, Jasper," I said, trying to hide the desperation in my voice. "You will always be. Please." I reached out to touch his face and he stepped back, evading me. I tried to think of something to say so that my hurt wouldn't show.

"But… how did you find out? For how long have you known?"

"I have known all about it since the day you came back."

All of a sudden I saw the light. "Edward." Damn him! Damn him a thousand times! I wanted to kill him myself, to rip him piece by piece. God, he had promised, he had promised to keep my secret, and then he had betrayed me like the lowest of filth.

"Yes. Edward told me. Alice, he was so worried about you. If you had felt what I did, his concern, his guilt. He tortured himself over the fact that he hadn't been able to interfere when he had promised me he would keep you safe. He didn't want to betray me."

"So he betrayed _me_ instead."

"No, no, please, don't see it as a betrayal. He only meant to protect you, and for that he had to tell me the truth. I know it would hurt you if I admitted I knew, but I also knew it was killing you to try to hide it from me. We had to face this, Alice, before it could really damage our relationship."

We looked at each other, unsure of what to do or say next. But he surprised me, as he always did, by touching my face delicately with his fingertips, brushing away a strand of hair.

"Why didn't you tell me, my love, why?" his voice was sweet, tender, and the tone of pain I could detect under its softness broke my heart."

I explained how I was too scared, how I feared he would reject me if he knew, how I worried about his growing jealousy and the effects it could have in our life. He looked wounded when I said that, and insisted he did it only for my protection. I felt like I had cheated on him, but he felt he had abandoned me, and somehow I knew he was hurting more than me.

"Remember our vows, Alice? When we got married? I swore to protect you, to keep you safe, to allow no harm to come to you, and look at us right now. Where was I when you had to give yourself to him? Where was I when he shouted at you, when he mistreated you? When he… when he touched you… when he laid his dirty hands on you, when he…"

And he started sobbing. If there was something I hated about vampire life was the crying. We couldn't produce tears, so the knot that formed in our throat whenever sadness overpowered us couldn't melt and threatened to choke us. When I saw Jasper go through that, sitting on the bed, looking as defenseless and frail as a child I fell to his feet and cried with him. I covered his handsome face with kisses and he stroked my hair and in the end we just hugged each other and it seemed we would become one, such was the pressure of our bodies.

Finally, we told each other everything, all the things we had kept to ourselves not only from this dark era, but from the day we met. It was horrible and hard, bleeding and painful, but after talking I could tell that everything had been healed between us. We went back to trying to get the baby, but we enjoyed the process like never before, knowing that all ghosts and imagined fears had vanished from our bed forever. I had the love of my life back, and I could be sure that he worshipped me with the same intensity I adored him. He was passionate like never before, making me cry out and writhe and faint in pleasure. I always made sure to correspond and it was certain that this level of ecstasy I couldn't have found anywhere else. Our relationship had once again changed; looking back to the human girl, the journalist, the child I had once been I couldn't believe how far we had gotten together, with our two children and the rest of our family. The things we had been through were more than enough for a lifetime and a couple of novels, some stories full of fantasy and extraordinary, bizarre experiences.

But we were together, once and for all, and when the next big challenge turned out to come from within our own home, we were prepared. Well, that's what I like to think.


	66. Shattered

**Shattered**

"I thought you understood!"

"I do, that's why I'm saying this."

"You know nothing! Nothing! You have no idea, you don't know how this feels like!"

"Of course I do. It hurts me as much as it hurts you."

"Then why do you keep doing it? This is on purpose!"

"Doing what? You are the one who started!"

I slammed the door and ran out of the house, to the beach. I knew he would know where I was, and could find me if he wanted to, but mercifully he chose to leave me alone. I loved him, I loved him more than I thought I could love anyone, but in that moment I couldn't stand being with anyone. Despite our frank conversation a couple of weeks ago Jasper and I were still arguing and fighting way too often. It now took less to get either of us angry, and the smallest thing would start a row during which deeper, darker, uglier things would come up. It was unbearable.

The freezing, salty air from the sea felt like a caress. This area was so cold that we could be sure no human would ever come; for us, the temperature was just perfect. I got as far of the house as I could, and sat on the sand. I found a shell and played absently with it as I stared into the white, foamy water.

Suddenly, I heard steps approaching and someone sat beside me. Rosalie.

"Oh… hi," I said, masking my surprise.

"Hello," she said simply. She was beautiful, even covered by the jacket and scarf (which she obviously didn't need, but which she loved) she looked amazing. She smiled, though she didn't look directly at me, and stared, too, into the sea.

"You two have been fighting again?"

"Yes."

"I figured out as much. Come on, let's talk. I'm bored."

"Rose, you have been suffering."

"So have you."

I smiled, and so did she. There was no humor in the gesture, but a current of understanding flowed between us.

"I tell you and you tell me." I finally said.

She laughed –this was genuine. "Seems fair."

I began shyly, but all of a sudden I couldn't stop. There had been immense amounts of untold feelings and now that I had a shoulder to cry on the flow was unstoppable. I told her about the ghosts Jasper and I had had to deal with lately. "I thought we had solved them. But now, now it's not about the ghosts anymore, it's about us, our present, what we are doing to each other. I don't know what is happening between us, but it's unbearable. I feel… I feel as if something has broken between us, and I don't know if I can fix it."

"Have you talked about it with him?"

"Yes, we've discussed it, we've tried to find a way out of all this but… We fight, and then we have a great reconciliation, and I think that it will all be ok now, but then we have an even bigger argument afterwards. I am tired of all that, and I know he is, too."

"What about taking a break?"

That I didn't expect. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah, why don't you take some time off? Instead of forcing your relationship to work you could give it a rest for a while. Both of you could focus on yourselves as individuals, make up for some lost time and then you would start to miss each other and need each other, and you could have a fresh start, once both of you have rested."

Seen that way it made perfect sense. But I knew how controlling Jasper was, and I knew he wouldn't be able to stand too long without the confidence of having me by his side.

"You know what, Alice?" she said when I told her that. "I think you've always given him too much power over your life. I mean, of course you love him and he loves you, but you have kind of… submitted to him, you know? When he first introduced you to us as his girlfriend you barely took a step without his approval. I thought that it would fade with time, especially after you were transformed, but it didn't, and that, I think is what's really hurting you. You feel that you betray him just by making your own choices."

"Do you really think so?"

"Jasper is my brother. My twin. And believe me, we're both jealous as hell, even when there's clearly no reason to act that way. Jasper is more irritable and it's easier to make him angry, so I suggest you draw your line as soon as possible."

I thought about that for a while, starting to see reason in her words, and we remained silent until she spoke again.

"Alice, could I, um, ask you a private question?"

I paused, unsure of what she meant. "Y-yeah, of course… Sure."

"What did you feel when you were with… him?"

"With him? Oh… you mean… _him_."

"Yes."

Jesus, did the whole family know? When had my sex life become public knowledge? And here I was, thinking that I could keep the whole thing hidden behind the darkest veil. "I'm going to kill Edward," I couldn't help saying.

"It wasn't him, Alice. It was obvious that _he_ didn't want you there only to look at your pretty face. Oh, don't be embarrassed. It wasn't something you looked for. He had desired you for years, and sooner or later he would get what he craved."

"Yes." I sighed. "I knew what he wanted from me, and I knew that there wasn't any way he wouldn't get it."

"At least you were aware of that. You haven't answered my question, though."

I looked down. If I could still blush, I would have been red as a pomegranate.

"You liked it," she said. She wasn't judging me, she didn't think I was any less because of that. I closed my eyes and I saw _him_ again, so skilled, so expert, so passionate yet so delicate. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy myself when I was summoned to his rooms.

"He could see into my mind," I said, looking for an excuse. "He knew me perfectly well. That wasn't fair playing."

She laughed. "No, it wasn't. But hey, there's nothing wrong in enjoying yourself. It's much better that you actually had a good time with him, and not that he made you suffer. If it had been me, I know Emmett would have preferred that instead of seeing me hurt or humiliated. Have you made him see that?"

"If I did I would have to admit I liked it, and God knows how he would get with that."

"He'll just have to put up with it. I mean, I don't want to offend you, but I guess you know you weren't the first woman in Jasper's life."

"I know. But I also know that ever since we met, I've been the only one. That's what makes the difference."

Rosalie remained silent for a while after this. We both knew he had been entirely faithful to me, even before we really got to know each other, and, though Rose was delicately evading the subject, the whole incident with Jacob was uncomfortably coming back to my mind.

"This is my fault," I eventually said.

"How so? It could only have been your fault if there had been possible to do something to prevent it, and you hadn't done it. Now tell me, did you have a choice?"

"No."

"There you go. Listen, I can't begin to imagine how hard that must have been for Jasper, he was aware of Aro's desire for you for a long time, and it made him feel he had failed as a man when he couldn't protect you. And, like we've just said, he's terribly jealous, so he didn't like the idea of sharing. But hey, he really should consider that Aro wasn't violent with you. If Jasper wants to blame you because you didn't put up a fight, because you didn't suffer, well, that's his problem, and it's a big one. He can't really wish that for you only to protect his own sense of virility."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, exasperated. Rosalie smiled kindly and placed one of her hands on mine.

"Look," she said, "if you want I'll talk to him about it, ok?" I nodded, feeling better. "That's good. He'll have to listen to me, and you and I will get this whole thing sorted out."

I hugged Rosalie, feeling for the first time in what seemed centuries the relief and comfort of a sister.

Now it was her turn to let it all go. Our eyes met and she acknowledged that. And then she told me everything: how she felt about all the little families, how envious she was of us, how she couldn't understand what she had done wrong as a person, that she was getting such punishment. As she spoke, I realized I had known everything all along, just the same way she had known about my problems. I was just refusing to see it and face it, because I knew that, indirectly, I was hurting her, too. After what she'd just done for me, I felt particularly horrible.

"I can't imagine how horrible this whole thing must be to you."

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I feel I've failed as a woman."

"What? No! Don't ever say that! Why would you think something like that?"

"Because it's true. I look around, and I see you, I see Bella, both of you have given your husbands children, beautiful children. You have done your duty as women and wives. When it was only Bella and you I could stand it, it hurt, but I could stand it. But then Esme conceived. And she had twins. That, Alice, was way too much for me. Esme and I are equals, vampires, married to vampires. Our nature is the same, our bodies work the same, then why was she given the joy of motherhood while my womb is still empty? At least she'd had the experience of pregnancy when she was human; I was denied even that. I came into immortality with the one thing I wanted the most denied. But she had it, Alice, Esme has had children both as a human and as a vampire, and me… I'm nothing. When I see how Carlisle looks at her, how Edward looks at Bella, how Jasper looks at you… Emmett has never looked at me that way."

"Rose, don't say that. Emmett loves you, and there is adoration in his eyes whenever he sees you."

"I know, but it's not the same. It's not the same pride, or affection, it's not the same tenderness. I have failed, Alice, I have failed as a woman, and as a wife, and for that I will never forgive myself."

It was that what I couldn't bear to see. Not only was she in pain, but she truly blamed it on herself. Rosalie! The most beautiful woman I had ever seen, someone who had a veil of coldness all around herself, but who I knew to be kind, warm, comprehensive, and fun. During the most difficult moments in our lives, she had been there, both for me and for Jasper, and she had looked after our children with the same motherly devotion I would have had. Hershey and Leo adored her, she was the only person who didn't leave, who wasn't constantly fighting and shouting, she was everything they needed her to be. Yet, she still felt she had failed.

"What does Carlisle say? I suppose you and Emmett have sought his medical assistance."

"Of course. He says that he and Esme began to try almost as soon as they got married, and that with every new step in technology they have tried to find a way. It's been decades of trial and error. Why they didn't tell _us_ this when _we_ got married, I have no idea."

There was resentment in her voice, she now blamed Carlisle for not having kept her informed, for not telling her he was looking for a way. To be honest, I would be upset, too, if I were her.

"Anyway," she continued, "now he'll have to make up for the lost time, because Emmett and I won't stop pestering him."

We both laughed softly at the thought. Emmett and Rosalie were quite persistent, and they could become extremely stubborn and annoying on their own, let alone together.

But there was an undertone to her smile. Carlisle and Esme were the only case, and it had taken them almost a hundred years. Who knew how long Rosalie and her Emmett would need to wait, that if their wish was at all granted. I gathered all my courage and asked a difficult question.

"Rose, have you considered adoption?"

She looked at me and, to my surprise, didn't appear to be angry. "Yes, we have. We've even gone to some orphanages, never actually going in, of course, we wouldn't want to create false hopes in an innocent child, but we have looked at them, and even done some research online. We do have it as an option, but it's our last one. I know Emmett wouldn't really mind, but, Alice, I so want my own baby! I want someone who grows inside me, someone I know I created, someone who's truly the union of Emmett and me. Anything else is empty. Anything else means nothing to me."

This is a new Rosalie I had never seen before, and I know I was revealing a part of myself that had always been in the dark. This sincere, face-to-face conversation was a heavenly therapy for both of us. I mentally promised to myself to find ways of having her look after my children more often, the joy I knew it gave her was too sweet to keep it only to myself. And, after all, I would actually need the help, since I had to get so many things sorted out with myself and with Jasper. If there was anything I could do for Rosalie's happiness, I would. I was also planning on getting Edward involved in this project, after all, the bastard owed me one after divulging my sex life to the whole community.

Rose and I stayed on the beach for a few more hours, now chatting freely and discussing trivialities. I had a lot of fun, and only now did I realize how badly I had needed a friend. Eventually, she announced she wanted to hunt. Initially she asked me to go with her, but I convinced her that what she needed was quality time with her Emmett, and she decided to look for him. The new look on her face told me their relationship would bloom again. Meanwhile, I decided to head home, to see my kids and talk to Jasper about the break. I got to my feet, shook off the sand on my clothes, and was already walking towards the house when I heard the familiar velvety voice behind my back.


End file.
